Chamber:
	Congreso Nacional
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	20 October 2002
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	Legislative elections were held on 20 October 2002, together with presidential elections and elections for the members of the Andean Parliament. The issues raised during the electoral campaign were much the same as in previous elections: poverty, corruption, a grossly inequitable distribution of wealth, unemployment, and the reduction of already minimal social services. The electoral process appeared relatively smooth and election day passed with no major violent event. However, there were many technical problems relating to voters' lists, inadequate training of polling officials, the failure of many of these officials to show up on election day and a similar absence on a massive scale of party poll-watchers and national observers. Some national organisations denounced vote-buying, manipulation by party bosses and intimidation. Nevertheless, the Organization of American States (OAS) declared that the electoral process had been "free and transparent, reflecting the will of Ecuadorian citizens expressed at the polls." Voter turnout was a record low since the 1979 return to democracy. Only 66 percent of Ecuador's 8.2 million eligible voters cast ballots, ten per cent of which were invalid or blank. The traditional parties all did poorly in the legislative elections and lost ground in Congress. The Social Christian Party obtained 24 of 100 seats at stake, as compared with 16 for the Democratic Left, and 15 for the Roldosista Party of Ecuador. The first round of the presidential elections produced no clear winner. Mr. Alvaro Noboa, a businessman and banana magnate from the Institutional Renewal National Action Party (PRIAN), and Mr. Lucio Gutiérrez, a retired army officer, from the socialist Party of Patriotic Society, who had played a role in the January 2000 coup, went on to the second round with 17.37 per cent of the votes and 20.43 per cent respectively. Neither was a professional politician and both had run populist campaigns. The second round of the presidential elections was held on 24 November 2002. Mr. Gutierrez won 54.3 per cent of the runoff vote, as against 45.7 per cent for Mr. Alvaro Noboa. He was sworn in on 15 January 2003. On 5 January 2003, the new Congress held its first sitting. A few days later, it elected Mr. Guillermo Landázuri as its new Speaker.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (20 October 2002): Elections results
Number of registered electors	8 154 425
Voters	5 178 885 (64 %)

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total
Social Christian Party (PSC)	24
Democratic Left (ID)	16
Roldosista Party of Ecuador (PRE)	15
Institutional Renewal Party of National Action (PRIAN)	10
PACHAKUTIC	10
Party of the Patriotic Society	7
Popular Democracy (DP)	4
Socialist Party	3
People's Democratic Movement	3
Independents	7
Others	1

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	84
Women:	16
Percent of women:	16.00 %