QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador’s vice president declared victory after an exit poll Saturday indicated voters roundly approved 10 ballot questions proposed by leftist President Rafael Correa that critics say will strengthen his grip on power, inhibit press freedom and lessen the judiciary’s independence.
The exit poll by SP Investigacion y Estudios, which regularly does work for the government, said voters approved all the questions by greater than 60 percent.
The plebiscite was an important gauge of popularity for Correa, who was first elected in 2006 and easily re-elected in 2009 after a rewrite of the constitution. He is eligible for re-election in two years.
Some questions were straightforward, such as whether to ban bullfighting and gambling. Others were complex. Each required a separate vote.
Two of the most controversial measures would bar owners of news media from having other commercial interests and create a government media oversight panel.
Critics say both would make it easier for Correa, who is often at loggerheads with the largely opposition news media and business community, to subtly impose censorship.
Another important ballot question called for dissolving Ecuador’s judicial oversight council and replacing it with a temporary body given the task of reworking the system.
Another would allow authorities to detain people for longer without filing charges.
Results of the exit poll were broadcast immediately after polls closed. Vice President Lenin Moreno told reporters that the government took the victory with “humility” but added that lawmakers have a mandate from the public to convert the vote’s results into law.
Five of the questions mandate constitutional changes.
