Ecuador Puts Plebiscite to Vote
The president of the Ecuadorian Electoral Supreme Court (TSE), Xavier Cazar, Tuesday called for people to vote on a plebiscite convened by the government for December 26, coinciding with the second round of elections in that country.

The popular consultation, estimated at over one million dollars, contains three questions on health and education.

In the first one, the people are asked to express their opinion for or against the eight guidelines of the 2006-2015 Education Plan, which are rated as State´s priority policies for investment in the public sector.

The second one asks for consensus on the Congressional debate and approval, in a five-month term, of laws aimed at assigning resources to guarantee medical care, turning health insurance into a state policy.

The last one deals with the Parliamentary decision on laws guaranteeing additional oil income be assigned to social investment and productive revival.

Since April 2005, President Alfredo Palacio had been making proposals for the referendum, but Congress and the TSE always rejected them, thus resulting in failed attempts to reform the country, according to observers.