Chamber:
	Congreso Nacional
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	19 May 1996
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	The 1996 congressional elections were held concurrently with polling for President of the Republic as well as provincial and municipal councillors. Congress was enlarged by five seats (77 to 82) since the previous (May 1994) legislative elections. The polling date was set on 20 January 1996. Main contestants among the nine in contention to succeed President Sixto Duran Ballen (Republican Unity Party -PUR), who was constitutionally barred from seeking re-election, were Mr. Jaime Nebot Saadi of the centre-right Social Christian Party (PSC), Mr. Abdala Bucaram Ortiz of the right-wing Roldosista Party of Ecuador (PRE) and Mr. Freddy Ehlers of the centre-left New Country (NP) coalition. Campaign debate focused on the economic sector, in which the outgoing Government had made impressive strides although simultaneously plagued by corruption scandals and social protests. Regarding the austerity and privatisation programme initiated by Mr. Duran, Mr. Bucaram - who adopted a populist campaigning style - spoke out in opposition to free-market reforms while Mr. Nebot pledged to put "people first" and to retain state control of major industries. They both advocated reduced government power and decentralisation, more targeting of social problems in the state budget, and exchange rate parity of the sucre with the US dollar. Mr. Ehlers was backed by Ecuador's important Indian communities. On polling day, the PSC and PRE topped both the congressional and presidential races, with Mr. Nebot and Mr. Bucaram qualifying for the 7 July runoff, ultimately won by the latter. As the legislature was once again fragmented - a problem which had hampered the outgoing administration - a coalition Cabinet was ultimately formed; it comprised members of the PRE, three other groups and independents. Both President Bucaram and the new Government were sworn in on 10 August.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (19 May 1996): Elections results
Number of registered electors	6,600,000 (approx)

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total	Gain/Loss
Social Christian Party (PSC)	27	+1
Roldosista Party of Ecuador (PRE)	21	+10
Popular Democracy (DP)	12	+8
New Country (NP) coalition	7	+7
Popular Democracy Movement (MPD)	4	-4
Democratic Left (ID)	3	-5
Ecuadorian Popular Revolutionary Action (APRE)	2	=
Alfarista Radical Front (FRA)	2	=
Others	4	-12

Comments:
	Five seats added since last elections The "Others" group includes one seat for native Ecuadorians who gained congressional representation for the first time

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	79
Women:	3