Ecuadorans yesterday were to vote for an assembly tasked with rewriting the Constitution with opinion polls showing support for sweeping reforms proposed by leftist President Rafael Correa.
Correa, who was elected one year ago on promises of radical change, wants the assembly members who will be elected today to dissolve the unicameral Congress, which he calls "corrupt and incompetent," and boost state control of the economy.
"It's necessary to do away with the myths of neo-liberalism," Correa said repeatedly during the campaign.
While calling for "21st century socialism" with guarantees for education and free health care, Correa has ruled out nationalizing private companies.
Pre-election polls indicate there is strong support for the wide-ranging reforms the president is seeking.
In the latest poll out late on Saturday, private firm Market said Correa's camp would win 65 to 68 assembly seats compared to 38 for the opposition. The survey has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
But another survey by Cedatos-Gallup showed that 36 percent of would-be voters remain undecided.
A US and European-educated former finance minister, Correa, 44, says the 130-seat Constituent Assembly will stem political instability in the South American country despite warnings his economic reforms could scare off foreign investors.
The most prominent of the 3,229 candidates is Correa's nemesis, right-wing billionaire Alvaro Noboa.
Ecuador's wealthiest man, and a folksy politician, Noboa has invoked God's name in his electoral campaign, vowing to defeat what he says are the power ambitions of Correa, whom he calls "the communist devil."
"Correa has become a tyrant who maintains you in poverty, the tyrant who keeps you sick, the tyrant who keeps you without a home or health care. But I am here, Ecuadorans," Noboa said during his last electoral rally.
Critics claim Correa is following in the footsteps of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
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