The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, has accepted the ‘no’ vote in the referendum held this Sunday to know the opinion of the Ecuadorian population on a series of constitutional amendments and has called for a national agreement.
«Ecuadorians, when the people speak, it is the duty of the rulers to analyze, understand and accept it (…) The objective of last Sunday’s referendum was always to listen to them, whatever their pronouncement», he has declared in a national speech delivered during Monday night.
Lasso has indicated that, «beyond the results of the popular consultation», the great majority «wishes and longs for a better country», since the demands of the population are the same: «More security, better education, better health, more work, better jobs, better salaries and reduction of the cost of living. In short, we all want to change Ecuador for the better».
«In this demonstration, in this act of popular expression nest the answers and solutions to the main problems that our country is going through», he reiterated, although he insisted that the topics of the popular consultation -which includes the fight against drug trafficking or climate change- are «priorities».
The Ecuadorian president has considered that the result of the referendum -which is not yet definitive despite the clear advantage of the rejection of it- was «a call from the people to the Government», reason why his cabinet will not «avoid that responsibility».
He has also pointed out to «all the political leadership and to the State», since he considers that the citizens «have asked all the parties» to put an end to «the quarrels» among them in order to «once and for all solve the urgent and concrete problems».
For this reason, he pointed out that, as President, he welcomes this call and summons all the national leadership to build a great agreement with the certainty that all the democratic political forces will contribute their viewpoint to the process.
On the other hand, Lasso has congratulated the candidates who have won the local elections, which also took place this Sunday, and whose results have been a blow to the ruling party, since they have lost the mayoralties of the main cities, Quito and Guayaquil, in favor of candidates loyal to former President Rafael Correa.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
