Ecuadorian congress names new speaker, expels 11 lawmakers
Ecuador's congress on Tuesday elected its new president and expelled 11 lawmakers who supported the country's ousted President Lucio Gutierrez.

The legislators elected Wilfrido Lucero, a center leftist, as the new president of the 100-seat unicameral National Congress with 65 votes in favor.

Former Speaker Omar Quintana, Gutierrez's party ally, was dismissed by the congress last Wednesday shortly before Gutierrez's ouster.

The congress also expelled 11 lawmakers Tuesday, citing a constitution article that allows the expulsion of those who violate the code of ethics, accusing them of betraying their parties by siding with Gutierrez.

"No more corruption within the congress, no more lawmakers for rent," Lucero said after the decision of expulsion was made.

The Ecuadorian congress ousted Gutierrez last Wednesday after public protests demanded Gutierrez's dismissal, claiming that he had effectively abandoned his post by failing to comply faithfully with his presidential responsibilities. Vice President Alfredo Palacio was named as the country's new head of state to serve the rest of Gutierrez's term which will expire in January 2007.

But the demonstrators, after Gutierrez's dismissal, also demanded the resignation of all the 100 lawmakers to clean up corruption, claiming that the congress was also responsible for the political crisis.