The Government in Ecuador

The Republic of Ecuador is a representative democracy. The Government is divided into three branches namely executive, legislative, and judicial. There is also an autonomous electoral agency called the "Tribunal Supremo Electoral". The country is subdivided into 21 provinces each of which is further divided into administrative cantones and parroquias.

The President of the Republic presides over the executive branch and represents the State. He is elected for a 4-year term by popular vote - one ballot for President and Vice-President. The current president is Rafael Correa Delgado and the vice-president is Lenin Moreno Garces. The President determines the number and functions of the ministries that comprise the executive branch and appoints the ministers of each bureau that he creates. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces

Ecuador's unicameral Congress passes laws, levies taxes, and approves International Treaties and an annual budget proposed by the executive branch. Congressmen are elected during multi-party elections and represent one of Ecuador's 21 provinces. The President of the Congress, which had been previously elected by Congress as a whole, according to the new Constitution, will be chosen by the Party that received the highest percentage of the national vote. The President of Congress ranks after the President and Vice-President of the Republic, and essentially has the same powers and responsibilities as the Speaker of the House and Leader of the Senate majority in the United States.

The judicial system is comprised of administrative courts, trial courts, appellate or Provincial Superior Courts and a Supreme Court. The supreme judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court, which has 30 Justices divided among 10 chambers of 3 Justices each. Supreme justices are elected for life terms