Document #1042019
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
According to an assistant to the municipal
president of Otavalo, the following individuals won the four
municipal counsellor positions during the 5 July 1996 municipal
elections: Victor Perez of the Ecuadoran Roldosist Party (Partido
Roldosista Ecuatoriano, PRE), Byron Velasquo and Manuel Ayala of
the Democratic Left Party (Izquierda Democrática, ID) and
Marcia Sanchez (19 November 1997). The assistant added that a
candidate from the Ecuadoran Popular Revolutionary Action
(Acción Popular Revolucionaria Ecuatoriana, APRE) also ran
during the municipal elections, but failed to win a position
(ibid.).
However, in a 21 November 1997 telephone
interview, the director of the Electoral Tribunal of Imbabura
stated that municipal elections took place on 19 May 1996 during
Ecuador's general elections. The director, however, could not
provide specific information on the elections in Otavalo. A 24 May
1996 NotiSur report and a 23 July 1996 Washington
Post report also state that general elections to elect a
president, provincial and municipal councils took place on 19 May
1996.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the
list of additional sources consulted in researching this
Information Request.
References
Municipalidad de Otavalo, Ecuador. 19
November 1997. Telephone interview with an assistant to the
president.
NotiSur - Latin American Political
Affairs [Albuquerque, N. Mex.]. 24 May 1996. "Ecuador:
Presidential Election Results in Runoff Between Jaime Nebot &
Abdala Bucaram." (NEXIS)
Tribunal Electoral de Imbabura, Ecuador.
21 November 1997. Telephone interview with the director.
The Washington Post. 23 July
1996. Final Edition. Gabriel Escobar. "Indians of Ecuador
Coalescing in Quest for Political Power." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 1996. 1997.
Extremist Groups. 1996.
Latinamerica Press [Lima].
1996.
Political Handbook of the World
1997. 1997.
Political Parties of the
Americas. 1992.
Resource Centre country file: Ecuador.
1996.
Revolutionary Movements of the
World. 1991.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases,
Global News Bank, LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, REFWORLD (UNHCR database),
World News Connection (WNC).