By Alexandra Valencia
QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuador’s government is celebrating “overwhelming” support for security proposals in a weekend referendum, but will need consensus in the legislature to implement some of the measures, a high-ranking official said on Monday.
President Daniel Noboa won support for joint police-military patrols, the extradition of wanted criminals and longer sentences for terrorism and murder, among other measures, in the Sunday referendum.
The changes are intended to battle spiking violence that has made international headlines.
The government notched wins in nine of the 11 questions put to the public in the referendum, according to the national electoral council, which has counted around 65% of ballot boxes.
“The results were expected, an overwhelming support for the two theses of the government, which was the security issue and the fight against corruption,” government vice-minister Esteban Torres told local radio.
“We have made it clear to those who, for political reasons…oppose the will of Ecuadoreans who have told them ‘legislators, work with the government on security reforms,'” said Torres. “Dialogue can be restarted and things can be done in a mature way, that is the expectation.”
To implement the nine approved measures, the government will need to make at least five changes to existing laws. Lawmakers will have 60 days to approve the amendments.
Noboa, who took office in November, initially enjoyed a broad legislative coalition, but his relations with some parties have fractured, especially after he ordered police into the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest leftist former vice-president Jorge Glas on corruption charges.
The incident drew international criticism and led Mexico to break relations with Ecuador.
Two referendum measures – one which would allow workers to be contracted by the hour and another recognizing international arbitrage – failed, but Torres said the government remains focused on job creation.
(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
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