Constitution requires certain age only for three offices

Rafael Correa

Ecuador’s Constitution requires that candidates for president and vice president of the Republic, must have at least 35 years, and those interested in the Assembly, 18.

The age limit for the presidency is in force in Article 142 of the Constitution, and is one of the changes that the Government is considering as part of a package of amendments, which they want to enforce in order to introduce indefinite reelection for all authorities of popular choice.

Cristina Reyes, Assemblywoman of PSC-MG, recalled that during the Constituent Assembly of 2007-2008, in which she participated, it was decided to keep the old age to be president. “We thought at age 35 someone would already have a career, have already accumulated a lifetime experience; beyond the titles they had.”

Reyes says the discussion of the age will be a “distraction” in the debate on the amendment to the Constitution, which she refuses