By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuadoreans seemed more likely to reject a government-backed referendum to permit extraditions for drug crimes and different fees, preliminary outcomes on Monday confirmed, whereas voters within the nation’s two largest cities backed mayoral candidates from embattled former President Rafael Correa’s political motion.

The outcomes strengthened a troublesome state of affairs for present conservative President Guillermo Lasso, who has struggled to include rising insecurity, protests by indigenous teams which have damage the economic system, and widespread violence in prisons.

The extradition referendum, one in every of eight reforms on the poll, would have allowed Ecuadorean suspects to be despatched overseas for trial on medicine and weapons fees, amongst others, a technique touted by Lasso to scale back crime which his authorities has blamed on the trans-national narcotics commerce.

Although the follow can be new for Ecuador, it is not uncommon for Latin American nations like Colombia and Mexico to accede to extradition requests from america and different nations.

However the ‘no’ vote on the measure was main with 53.8%, in keeping with the electoral authority, versus 46.1% for the ‘sure’ facet with practically 47% of poll packing containers counted.

One other reform to provide the lawyer common extra autonomy to decide on prosecutors additionally seemed unlikely to cross, with 58.4% of votes towards and 41.6% in favor after 40% of the depend had been tabulated.

A proposal to scale back the variety of lawmakers within the 137-seat meeting to round 100 members was additionally seemingly headed for defeat, with the ‘no’ vote at practically 55%.

Lasso, whose recognition is hovering round 20%, has clashed repeatedly with the opposition-controlled physique, the place some lawmakers tried to oust him throughout demonstrations that engulfed Ecuador final yr.

Voters in Quito, the capital, elected Pabel Munoz, a member of Correa’s political motion, as mayor, whereas Correista candidate Aquiles Alvarez received in Guayaquil, ousting the Social Christian social gathering after three many years of management of the mayoral place.

“The sturdy efficiency of the Correismo within the regional elections along with what seems to be a authorities loss within the referendum, if confirmed, leaves a really difficult political state of affairs for the Lasso administration,” J.P. Morgan stated in a notice.

Referendum defeats are anticipated to additional weaken Lasso’s eroded political capital, the notice stated, including that renewed social protests might be destabilizing.

Correa, who left workplace in 2017 and lives in Belgium, faces eight years in jail in Ecuador on a corruption conviction.