US embassy cable - 05QUITO54

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000054 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, EC 
SUBJECT: PRE'S QUINTANA ELECTED NEW CONGRESS PRESIDENT 
 
REF: QUITO 0020 
 
1.  (U) Summary:  Congressman Omar Quintana, of the 
Ecuadorian Roldosista Party (PRE), was elected President of 
Congress on January 5 after receiving 52 votes from members 
of the government's "progressive alliance."  Opposition 
deputies abandoned the session after failing to elect their 
preferred candidate, and criticized the majority's actions as 
illegitimate.  Some participated in a subsequent session on 
January 6, however.  Alliance members failed to name most of 
the other leadership positions--they will attempt to do so in 
the next session on January 11.  Quintana's election was 
welcomed by President Gutierrez and by PRE leader Abdala 
Bucaram. 
End Summary. 
 
Opposition Gambit Fails 
----------------------- 
 
2.  (U) Outgoing Congress President Guillermo Landazuri (ID) 
opened the January 5 session proposing Wilfredo Lucero (ID) 
as his replacement, arguing that the ID was declared the 
second largest party in 2002, and was therefore due the 
presidency for the next two years under congressional rules. 
Lucero received 44 votes in favor, 53 against.  Landazuri 
then declared the session closed. 
 
3.  (U) The pro-government majority promptly reopened the 
session under the authority of Congress VP Jorge Montero 
(CFP), noting that the Constitution mandates that Congress 
elect new authorities on January 5 and does not permit the 
outgoing president authority to suspend the session. 
Congressional deputies from the PRE (15), PRIAN (9), PSP (5), 
Socialists (3), CFP (1) and 16 independents then recognized 
the PRE as the second force in Congress and elected Quintana. 
 
Opposition Cries Foul, Again 
---------------------------- 
 
4.  (U) The opposition PSC, ID and Pachakutik later protested 
that the session could not be reopened except by Landazuri or 
with approval of 3/4 of the Congress.  The election of 
Quintana, they claimed, was therefore illegitimate.  PSC 
leader and ex-president Leon Febres-Cordero called on the 
public to express its disapproval through street protests. 
No such protests have been reported. 
 
While the Alliance Celebrates 
----------------------------- 
 
5.  (U) Meanwhile, alliance members celebrated their victory. 
 President Gutierrez pronounced the results legitimate and 
good.  From self-imposed exile in Panama, Bucaram expressed 
satisfaction with the results, crediting his son Jacob for 
organizing support for Quintana. 
 
An Unfinished Job 
----------------- 
 
6.  (U) In addition to Quintana, the alliance renewed the 
mandate of Montero as Congress' second VP.  However, it did 
not name a first VP (the PSC refused to name a 
representative) or to approve a full list of memberships and 
presidents of Congress' 18 committees.  Press reported that 
some of these positions had been filled, but our inquiries 
confirmed that these appointments are not yet official. 
Congress reconvened briefly on January 6, but again failed to 
agree on these appointments.  Congress will reconvene on 
January 11 to attempt to finish this process. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
7.  (SBU) The victory of Quintana, a close friend and 
associate of ex-president Bucaram, will increase the 
alliance's control over the congressional agenda and help 
consolidate alliance gains at the cost of the opposition. 
Without official action to divvy up committee chair 
positions, however, the alliance could soon begin to fray. 
The January 5 opposition boycott and the PSC's refusal to 
present a candidate for the vice presidency reflect the 
opposition's rejection of the majority's action, but not the 
institution;  PSC (but not ID or Pachakutik) deputies 
attended the inconclusive January 6 session.  End Comment. 
END COMMENT. 
 
BIO INFORMATION -- OMAR QUINTANA 
-------------------------------- 
8.  (U) Omar Quintana, aged 62, is a Guayaquil-based 
businessman and longtime political ally and friend of 
Bucaram.  A high school graduate, Quintana has represented 
Avis Rent-a-Car for over 30 years, owns a travel agency and 
currency exchange house, but is best known here as the 
president of a prominent Guayaquil soccer club (Emelec).  He 
has been active in politics and affiliated to the PRE party 
for 20 years.  He is also the brother-in-law of PRIAN leader 
and banana magnate, Alvaro Noboa. 
 
9.  (SBU) Quintana served as municipal council member of 
Guayaquil from 1994-96, when he was named by then-president 
Bucaram as president of the National Modernization Board 
(CONAM).  Press reports Quintana was jailed in 1985 for 
defrauding the Machala branch of the central bank of import 
duties owed on imported medical equipment.  In 1995 a warrant 
was issued against him on charges that he benefited from a 
scam to sell falsified central bank monetary stabilization 
bonds.  In July 1996 a court revoked the warrant. 
KENNEY