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Poll predicts win for Ecuador's president in constitution vote

Voters in Ecuador decide today whether to launch the broad constitutional reform process sought by leftist President Rafael Correa, who said he might quit if he loses the referendum.

Correa, who took office in January, hopes the referendum will establish an assembly with broad powers to curb the influence of a Congress that has helped oust three presidents in 10 years.

He wants the new body to reduce Congress' power over the judiciary and the corrupt state companies of the world's top banana exporter. He also wants to force lawmakers to live in the tiny constituencies they represent.

A new poll indicated that Correa will comfortably win the referendum that could dent the influence of the unpopular Congress, which has been blamed for the poor Andean state's political instability.

The Cedatos-Gallup poll released on Friday showed 66 percent of Ecuadoreans would back the president's referendum, up from 63 percent last Sunday. Only 15 percent planned to vote against, down from 20 percent.

A weakened opposition, which lost control of Congress after 57 lawmakers were fired last month, accuses Correa of seeking to consolidate his power.

A resounding victory for Correa, a US-educated economist,would allow him to forge ahead with reforms that have rattled Wall Street, vowing to end the lease on a US military base, renegotiate oil deals and rework the national debt.

Correa upped the stakes, saying just ahead of the voting he would quit and "go home" if voters do not approve the project, which he sees as a key component of his "citizens' revolution," but which critics claim is inspired by controversial reforms implemented in Venezuela by President Hugo Chavez.

The referendum comes less than five months after Correa was elected on promises of radical changes, including a renegotiation of foreign debt and a review of oil contracts.

A "yes" vote today would pave the way for the election of the assembly within three months. Once installed, the new body would have six months to write a draft constitution that would then be put to a referendum.
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