Gutierrez, Noboa top early count of presidential vote

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP) --Two political novices appeared headed for a runoff in
Ecuador's presidential election, after voters showed their impatience with leaders who
have been unable to scrub out the poverty and corruption that have plagued their country
for years.

With 53 percent of the votes counted, Lucio Gutierrez, 45, a dismissed army
colonel, led with 19 percent of the vote. Banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, 51,
Ecuador's richest businessman, was close behind with 17.6 percent.

Still, Ecuadoreans were not excited about either candidate. Turnout on Sunday
was 66 percent -- extremely low in a country where voting is mandatory and
absenteeism is punishable by fine. The turnout was also an all-time low since
democracy was restored in 1979 after a decade of dictatorship.

Noboa set the tone of what will likely be his campaign for the runoff when he
accused Gutierrez of having the support of a communist party.

"I am going to tell the Ecuadorean people that they have two choices: the
communism that Lucio Gutierrez represents ... and jobs, health and economic
reactivation, which I represent," he said at a news conference.

Gutierrez is an admirer of Fidel Castro and Venezuela's leftist President Hugo
Chavez, and led a coup in 2000 that ousted an unpopular president.

He described himself as center-left and said he hoped Ecuadoreans would let
him show them what he stands for before judging him unfairly. He said that if
elected he planned to encourage foreign investment by cracking down on the
corruption that has scared away foreign investors.

Gutierrez said it was significant that he and Noboa were not professional
politicians.

"It is a sign that the Ecuadorean people are tired of the same politicians of
always," he said. "Who is responsible for the country that we have? We have
one of the most corrupt, unjust countries, with the greatest inequalities and
greatest migration, in Latin America and the world. The moment has arrived to
tell those politicians who do not understand the true concept of democracy:
Enough."

Easing fears of violent protests, two other leading contenders conceded defeat.
Several had said before the vote that the ballot might be rigged, but monitors
said they had no evidence of that.

Former President Rodrigo Borja, a center-left social democrat, and Xavier
Neira, candidate of the right-wing Social Christians, both conceded. That left
moderate leftist Leon Roldos, who had 15.87 percent, but his chances of
making the runoff appeared slim.

The remaining votes were divided among six candidates. A second round
between the two top vote-getters takes place if no candidate receives 50
percent.

The result made allegations of possible vote rigging moot. Several candidates
had alleged that Borja conspired with former President Leon Febres Cordero
to ensure that Borja would win the presidency and Febres Cordero, one of the
nation's most powerful politicians, would become president of Congress.

At least 30 percent of Ecuadoreans were undecided how to vote just days
before the election, a reflection of their disenchantment with politicians after
years of political and economic turmoil.

It was the closest election since democracy was restored in 1979.

The campaigns of all the presidential candidates revolved around vague plans to
combat widespread corruption and poverty.

Ecuador's 20-year-old democracy has suffered trying times in recent years.
Since 1996 the country, slightly smaller than Nevada, has had five presidents.
Two of them were driven from office in the midst of political and economic
upheaval.
 
 

Copyright 2002 The Associated Press.