There Will Be Campaigns To Promote the Yes and No Options For The Referendum Questions

The Ecuadorian National Electoral Council (CNE) approved political and social organizations to participate in publicity campaigns to promote the support or rejection for each of the five questions of the upcoming referendum, to be held in May. The issues of the consultation are the following: to penalize unjustified private enrichment, to continue or not of the gambling rooms, to prohibit the killing of animals in public shows, to regulate press activities and to criminalize non-membership in the Social Security.

Organizations such as “Una Nueva Opción” (UNO) will support the penalization of unjustified private enrichment, but it will ban against gambling rooms and media regulation through a council. The CNE refused the participation of the National Association of Owners and Managers of Game Rooms (Anpasju) on advertising, for this reason, owners of casinos and gaming rooms will use professional debate as a strategy, so they will invite international speakers to give talks about the losses to the treasury if the Yes option wins.

The prohibition of killing animals in public performances will be treated in ad slots with pro and against messages. Diabluma group (in partnership with the Corporación Utopia) and the Protección Animal Ecuador Foundation (PAE), will promote the No option to bullfights in advertising slots, while Union de Toreros (Bullfighters Union) was not allowed to campaign for the No options since the CNE only enabled the Plaza de Toros de Quito Union of Workers, who defend their right to work. Bullfighting and cockfighting fans will campaign on the internet because that is not restricted.

The question about regulating the press activities concerned the Association of Television Channels of Ecuador (actve), was interested in “defend freedom of speech” through the promotion of the No option, however, the CNE did not allow them to campaign.

Source: El Universo