Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

A new political era in Ecuador

Since 2006, Ecuador has undergone profound political reforms, including a Constituent Assembly in 2008 resulting in a new constitution, and elections in 2009. The political leader of the reform process, President Rafael Correa, also proposed a more participatory democracy in which citizens have a direct say in politics.

To help understand these rights, Agora Democrática came up with the idea of launching a political magazine collecting various political views on the political reform process in Ecuador and sharing them with a wider audience. 

Agora Política’s editorial board consists of eleven representatives from various political parties, organisations and movements. This multiparty editorial board comes together every quarter. As an example of and platform for multiparty democracy, it not only provides the content of the magazine, but also agrees on the issues to be discussed in the publication.

New rules for political organisations

The first edition of Agora Política, which you can download here (PDF, Spanish), was published in January 2010 and focused on the new criteria that all political organisations need to comply with when registering at the National Electoral Council for the next planned elections in 2013.

With the adoption of the new law on political organisations in 2009, all movements, parties and other political actors have committed themselves to becoming official political organisations with mechanisms for gender quotas, internal party democracy, elections manifestos, governing programmes and transparency of finances in place.

In this edition of the magazine, various political organisations share their vision on this new legislation and the challenges involved in its implementation.

Ecuador's "democratic design"

What is the architecture of the State? How is political power divided according to the new constitution? What are the implications of the introduction of the new institution of direct citizens' participation? What are the challenges hindering the implementation of the new constitution?

These are the questions which form the basis of the second edition of Agora Política, which you can download here (PDF, Spanish). The issue includes 11 articles written by political representatives of various Ecuadorian political organisations and movements.

The third edition of the magazine is expected at the end of 2010.

Agora Democrática is an initiative of NIMD and International IDEA. Read more about NIMD’s Ecuador programme.