Ecuador judge dismisses electoral complaint against Quito mayor

A judge at Ecuador's Electoral Contention Tribunal (TCE) on Tuesday dismissed a complaint against Quito Mayor Pabel Muñoz, who is seeking re-election. Opposition parties have labeled the complaint as politically motivated "persecution" against the mayor.

The complaint was filed by Jennifer Celorio, who accused Muñoz of interfering with the electoral process. Such an infraction could lead to fines, dismissal, or suspension of political rights for two to four years.

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the complainant did not determine with clarity what Muñoz's actions were nor their relationship with the functioning or exercise of a proper attribution of any of the bodies that make up the Electoral Function.

However, Judge Ivonne Coloma stated that the complainant did not clearly specify Muñoz's actions or how they related to the functions of the electoral system. The judge also ruled she lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.

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Muñoz has allegedly been persecuted for some time and accused the government of President Daniel Noboa of seeking 'to remove strong contenders from the ballot' in the local elections.

The "Citizen Revolution" (RC) party, led by former President Rafael Correa, and three other movements that supported Muñoz's candidacy, had previously rejected the complaint. They argued that Muñoz is being targeted by President Daniel Noboa's government to remove strong contenders from the November local elections.

RC president Gabriela Rivadeneira claimed Celorio was associated with an official close to the executive branch. The RC also noted similar alleged persecution against former presidential candidate Luisa González, whose candidacy for governor of Manabí province was denied registration.

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Celorio was allegedly from the team of a former councilor of the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control (CPCCS) close to the Executive.