Ecuador’s leading party has introduced a Code of Ethics for its legislators
The ten-point document was approved at the PAIS party’s national convention--the same convention where incumbent President Rafael Correa and his running mate Jorge Glas were selected to represent PAIS in February’s election.
Last November, outgoing vice-president Lenin Moreno took the oaths of the PAIS members who swore in the new Code of Ethics. Of those who swore the oath, almost 100 have been elected to serve out the 2013-2017 term in Ecuador’s 137-seat National Assembly.
The party hopes the Code of Ethics will ensure loyalty and avoid party defections. Last session, 11 parliamentarians left the party and sat instead as members of other movements.
In Ecuador’s system, party affiliation has a strong influence on a candidates chances to earn a seat in the assembly. The custom for voters is to vote “en plancha”: mark the ballot in support for all candidates from a given party instead of splitting the vote for individuals from different parties.
The National Assembly’s president Fernando Cordero say the new ethics code shouldn’t force anyone to act in a way that isn’t already implicit in their convictions. “We will act in concert with the party that has given us shelter, a party that we created and that has earned us a great victory.”
Cordero also announced a new bill that will make party defection harder. The Legislative Function bill would make “changing one’s shirt” cause for recall. Any elected official who defects from their party would have to face a new election 30 days after their decision. Only if they win that referendum could they continue to serve as an assembly-person.
The key points of the new Code of Ethics:
1) To act with absolute honour in the management of public resources, accounts and to guard the public interest.
2) To not use one´s position for personal gain.
3)To participate actively in the organisms for debate and decision-making.
4) To observe the decision made by the movement, to priviledge the public interest and respect majority rule.
5) To contribute with militance: by giving five percent of one’s salary to the party coffers to ensure the movement´s longevity
10) The lack of adherence to this code by any assembly-person enables party leadership to revoke their position.
