Ecuadorian president ousted, vice president takes over
The Ecuadorian congress on Wednesday ousted President Lucio Gutierrez and named Vice President Alfredo Palacio as the country's new head of state after mass protests demanded Gutierrez's dismissal.

The congress made the decision with 60 votes in favor of Gutierrez's ouster in a special session attended by 62 parliamentarians from the 100-seat unicameral congress.

The congress claimed that its decision was based on a constitutional clause that allows the congress to remove a president for "abandonment of the position."

The congress said Gutierrez had effectively abandoned his post by failing to comply faithfully with his presidential responsibilities.

Palacio took office soon after the vote, saying the congress' decision ended "the dictatorship, immorality, arrogance, terror and fear."

He will serve the rest of Gutierrez's term which will expire in January 2007.

Gutierrez and his wife had left the palace, the local television reported. Some other reports said Gutierrez will seek asylum in Panama but were later denied by Panamanian Ambassador to Ecuador Mateo Castillero.

Later Wednesday, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Gutierrez had entered the Brazilian Embassy in Quito and asked for asylum.

The state prosecutor's office said it had issued an order to arrest Gutierrez for two deaths earlier this week during the anti-Gutierrez protests.

After taking office, Palacio ordered the immediate closure of the country's borders to prevent the exit of politicians sought by justice, including Gutierrez.

The demonstrators, who demanded Gutierrez's resignation, celebrated Gutierrez's ouster but shifted their anger to the congress.

They demanded the resignation of all the 100 parliamentarians, shouting "All out" and accusing them of also being responsible for the political crisis.


MILITARY WITHDRAWS SUPPORT TO GUTIERREZ, POLICE CHIEF RESIGNS

The military withdrew its support to Gutierrez shortly after the congress' voting, while the country's police chief resigned before the voting.

The military high command "has been forced to make the hard decision of withdrawing support from the constitutional president in order to protect public safety and recover peace and tranquillity," Victor Hugo Rosero, chairman of the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a press conference.

In another development on early Wednesday, Commander of the Ecuadorian Police Jorge Poveda presented his resignation to Gutierrez after a Chilean photographer died of a heart attack after being tear-gassed on Tuesday night in the conflict.

The police chief said he refused to "become a witness of the confrontation of people" as he has always "struggled for the interests of my institution and the nation."

"As an Ecuadorian, I regret what happened yesterday and I cannot continue serving while the Ecuadorian people fight among themselves," he said.

Gutierrez's fall came over a struggle for controlling Ecuador's Supreme Court. In December last year, a loose alliance of pro-government parliamentarians dismissed the Supreme Court 31-judges,only four of them were later re-grouped in the new court. Mass demonstrations erupted last week in protest of a decision of the new court to drop corruption charges against former President Abdala Bucaram.


US TO FACILITATE SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS

Earlier Wednesday, the US Embassy in Ecuador said Washington was prepared to help end the country's political chaos.

"We support democracy and want a solution to this crisis," said Glenn Warren, press officer of the embassy, after a meeting between US Ambassador to Ecuador Kristie Kenney and Gutierrez.

But he refused to elaborate on the meeting, only saying that the United States will "facilitate in any way a solution to the current crisis."

According to local media, the ambassador arrived at Gutierrez's residence where he stayed for less than an hour.