Ruling party withholds Communications Bill

The vote on the draft of Communications Bill in the National Assembly approaches and the ruling party remains in uncertainty about the “final draft”.

Some assembly members of Alianza Pais (AP) such as Gaston Gagliardo, Angel Vilema and Ximena Ponce, ensure that no project has been discussed “at length”, that they do not know what changes have been made to the bill and that the only document known is the “Supplementary Report for the second debate of the Communications Bill,” delivered in July 2011 by the current rapporteur Mauro Andino (AP) to the former president of the assembly, Fernando Cordero.

The president of the Assembly, Gabriela Rivadeneira, said the ruling bloc have been studying the final text for almost three months. The text has no date for its discussion in the Plenary, but the possibility of the Bill being voted this week is not ruled out.

President of the National Assembly, Gabriela Rivadenira (mid), could summon a voting session on the draft of the Communications Bill this week.

In his usual nation-wide broadcast, President Rafael Correa stated that he revised the law reforms. “At last they sent me the final draft, (…) this time lawmakers have done a very good job,” said the president. However, Andino, who is the only one who can accept or reject changes to the bill, denied having sent a text to the Executive. “Not to the President of the Republic, only when he need to (…) he will have knowledge and the project will be in his grasp.”