Integrity of Ecuador’s presidential vote unaffected by cyber attacks, authorities say By Reuters

By Alexandra Valencia and Julia Symmes Cobb

QUITO (Reuters) -Polls closed in Ecuador’s presidential and legislative election on Sunday after a marketing campaign darkened by bloodshed, amid voter hopes the winner will deliver the nation out of a spiral of violence and financial troubles.

A webpage arrange for some Ecuadoreans dwelling overseas to forged their ballots suffered cyber assaults, the pinnacle of the Nationwide Electoral Council mentioned, however the integrity of the vote was not affected by the difficulty.

An early exit ballot after voting ended at 5 p.m. native time (2200 GMT) confirmed Luisa Gonzalez, a protege of leftist former President Rafael Correa, main with practically 33% of the vote.

Former lawmaker Daniel Noboa notched a shock second-place end with 20.5% of the vote, in line with the ballot.

Jan Subject, a businessman who says he served within the French International Legion and who pledged to make the nation’s safety issues his prime precedence, was simply behind Noboa with 18.3%.

Preliminary official outcomes had been starting to be posted by the council.

The candidates have pledged to struggle sharp will increase in crime, which the present authorities blames on drug gangs, and enhance the struggling economic system, whose woes have triggered an uptick in unemployment and migration.

Safety took heart stage within the contest after the homicide of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio, a former investigative journalist and lawmaker who was gunned down whereas leaving a marketing campaign occasion earlier this month. Villavicencio’s social gathering subsequently selected Christian Zurita to exchange him.

Different candidates have reported assaults in opposition to them, though in a number of instances police have mentioned that the violence was not directed on the hopefuls themselves.

Voters on the polls in Quito, the capital, and Guayaquil mentioned safety was their main focus.

“First is safety, after which the economic system and jobs. With out safety there is not funding, there aren’t corporations, there aren’t jobs,” mentioned Patricia Simbana, a public worker who voted at an elementary college within the capital the place Zurita forged his poll amid a scrum of journalists and closely armed troopers.

Six suspects, all Colombians who police say belong to legal gangs, had been charged with Villavicencio’s homicide and are being held in custody. One other suspect died from wounds sustained in a shootout with authorities.

CYBER ATTACKS

The cyber assaults on the webpage for voters overseas had been launched from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia and China, mentioned Diana Atamaint, the president of electoral council.

“The web platform suffered cyber assaults that affected the fluidity of entry to voting. We make clear and emphasize that the recorded votes haven’t been violated,” Atamaint mentioned.

A number of candidates had denounced issues with the webpage.

Greater than 82% of those that are required to vote did so, Atamaint added. Voting is necessary for these between 18 and 65.

Gonzalez, who had led polls heading into the election, has promised to unencumber $2.5 billion from worldwide reserves to bolster Ecuador’s economic system.

She additionally promised to deliver again social packages carried out by Correa – who has since been convicted of corruption – throughout his decade in energy.

Noboa, the 35-year-old son of outstanding banana businessman and former presidential candidate Alvaro Noboa, seemingly gained help after performing properly in the one televised debate of the marketing campaign.

A lawmaker till present President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the nationwide meeting and referred to as early elections, Noboa has targeted his marketing campaign on job creation, tax incentives for brand new companies and jail sentences for severe tax evasion.

Additionally on Sunday’s poll had been two environmental referendums – each anticipated to move – that would block mining in a forest close to Quito and improvement of an oil block within the Amazon (NASDAQ:).

Voters additionally had been electing 137 members of the nationwide meeting.