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Congress approves Noboa as new Ecuador president

QUITO: Ecuador's congress approved Gustavo Noboa as the country's new president in an emergency session Saturday following a bloodless military coup that removed elected president Jamil Mahuad from office.

With cries of "long live democracy!" the congress approved Noboa, who was Mahuad's vice-president, as the country's new leader by 87 votes in favour, two against, and one abstention. Thirty-four legislators were absent for the vote.

The president of congress, Juan Jose Pons, said the legislature "would fight to the end so that we can maintain a democratic system in Ecuador".

The vote grants Noboa's regime the legitimacy needed to avoid global isolation: the United States, the European Union and virtually every Latin American nation had condemned any attempt at imposing a government by non-constitutional means.

"The United States is watching closely the efforts being made by the leaders of Ecuador to return their country to the framework of constitutional order," US State Department spokesman James Foley said in a statement.

"The United States calls on all parties to continue to work together to address the severe economic and social challenges, which played a central role in bringing about the current crisis and that Ecuador will continue to face," Foley said.

Noboa took control of Ecuador's government early Saturday, after a three-man military junta that deposed Mahuad handed power over to him. He will remain in office until January 2003, completing Mahuad's term.

The unicameral congress meeting in the southern coastal city of Guayaquil, the country's largest city, ruled that Mahuad had abandoned office, and that Noboa should replace him.

In a speech after the vote Noboa, 61, said he would maintain a state of emergency throughout the country, and vowed to fight corruption. He also promised to keep Mahuad's controversial economic programme that replaces the local currency with the US dollar.

In a surprise televised speech from Quito just before congress met, Mahuad, who had gone missing for hours, said he had not resigned from the presidency, but recognised that he had been replaced by Noboa.

"The legitimate president was ousted by a military coup," Mahuad said, describing the event as a "charade".

Mahuad nevertheless urged Ecuadorans to unite behind Noboa, asking the nation "to give Gustavo Noboa the support that was not given to me".

The confusing string of events that led to a new government happened in a matter of hours: unrest that had been simmering for days peaked just before midday Friday when thousands of Indians took over the congress building in Quito and brought the capital to a standstill.

The 10,000 Indian members of a broad umbrella organisation known as CONAIE had been protesting in the capital for days, and were rapidly gaining support for a national strike against Mahuad.

Protestors demanded Mahuad's resignation because of deteriorating economic conditions that including a dramatic fall in the value of the national currency, the sucre.

Upon storming congress, the Indians called for a government of national unity, and after hours of negotiations a three-man junta led by Mahuad's defense minister, Army General Carlos Mendoza, CONAIE leader Antonia Vargas and former Supreme Court judge Carlos Solorzano took power and overthrew Mahaud. AFP