of state and head of government
head of government: President Fabian ALARCON Rivera (since 11 February
1997); Vice President Pedro AGUAYO (since 1 April 1998); note-the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
note: in an unusual, out of cycle change in executive power, Congress
on 11 February 1997 elected then Congress President ALARCON to be
Interim President until August 1998 after ousting former President
BUCARAM because of "mental incapacity"; ARTEAGA remained vice
president until March 1998
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by
popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 19 May 1996;
runoff election held 7 July 1996; note-because of the February 1997
unusual change in executive power, the next presidential elections
will take place 31 May 1998
election results: runoff election; percent of vote-Abdala BUCARAM
Ortiz 54%, Jaime NEBOT 46%; note-in February 1997, Congress elected
ALARCON to be Interim President until August 1998, with 57 of 82
Congressmen voting in favor of him

Legislative branch: unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional
(82 seats; 12 members are popularly elected at-large nationally to
serve four-year terms; 70 members are popularly elected by province
for two-year terms)
elections: last held 19 May 1996 (next to be held 31 May 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PSC 27,
PRE 19, DP 12, P-NP 8, ID 4, FRA 3, MPD 2, PCE 2, CFP 1, independents
and other 4; note - defections by members of congress are commonplace,
resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the
various parties

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are elected by
Congress

Political parties and leaders:
Center-Right parties: Social Christian Party or PSC [Jaime NEBOT
Saadi, president]; Ecuadorian Conservative Party or PCE [Freddy BRAVO]
Center-Left parties: Democratic Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos,
leader]; Popular Democracy or DP [Jamil MAHUAD, leader]; Radical
Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosista Party or
PRE [Abdala BUCARAM, leader]
Leftist parties: Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [leader NA]
Populist parties: Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz,
director]; Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM,
leader]; Popular Revolutionary Action or APRE [Frank VARGAS Passos,
leader]; Pachakutik-New Count