Ecuador President Rafael Correa on Saturday urged the National Assembly, where his party has an absolute majority, to amend the constitution so he can run for re-election in 2017 and beyond. Correa, in office since 2007, wants "indefinite re-election to all positions appointed by popular election."
The socialist president, one of the most prominent leftist Latin American leaders, was re-elected in February 2013 for a second four-year term, the last allowed under the constitution. But in March, he backtracked on his previous support of constitutional measures limiting the country's leader to only two consecutive terms. The apparent about-turn came after local elections saw his ruling Alianza Pais party suffer a series of reverses.
Any re-election bid was justified to block unspecified international right-wing forces, he said at the time.
Under Ecuador's current constitution, which Correa adopted in 2008 after a referendum, the president and other elected officials may only seek re-election to public office once, serving a total of two terms.
Ecuador under Correa has pared its ties with the United States and has joined new regional blocs with other like-minded leftist governments, such as Venezuela.
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