Álvaro Noboa: Open the ballot boxes, I don’t recognize the survey results
PRIAN List 7 candidate for President of the Republic, Álvaro Noboa said that he does not recognize the results of the exit poll and will ask the National Electoral Counsel to open the ballot boxes for a vote-by-vote count.
He stated that the Cedatos exit poll has no validity and recalled that the pollsters, in 2011, during the plebiscite for YES or NO, had stated that the YES had won with 69% of the vote when they had only gotten 45%: they were off by 24 points.”
He pointed out the exit poll by Ecuasondeos, which give Rafael Correa 38%, and Álvaro Noboa 14.7%; Lucio Gutiérrez, 14.3%; Guillermo Lasso, 13.4; Alberto Acosta, 5.6%; Nelson Zavala, 2.2%, Mauricio Rodas, 1.8; Norman Wray, 1.0%; Nulls, 5%, and Blanks, 4%.
He explained that, according to those numbers, there should be a second round between Rafael Correa and himself, but stated that no poll gives official results, not even the preliminary count by the CNE, and therefore the only result that he would accept, would be the vote-by-vote count once the ballot boxes were opened.
“If they open the ballot boxes, the results will be like the ones we recognize.”
Álvaro Noboa restated that as long as the Chief of State hasn’t got Ecuadorians out of poverty, he would continue working politically for Ecuador to get out of poverty; while there was persecution against him, and against the communications media, like El Universo, and the TV channels, while there was such an atmosphere of terror, he would continue to run (in the next elections).
TEXTUAL TRANSCRIPTION
Álvaro Noboa: We’ve just seen, on television, an exit poll by CEDATOS that is not valid at all, and I don’t want Ecuadorians to be confused between a poll versus the reality, which are the votes that are in the ballot boxes. I think that this information from CEDATOS is wrong.
What is important, is to open all the ballot boxes, because we are already experiencing an atmosphere of brutal suspicion. The very same CEDATOS, in 2011, in the famous plebiscite of the Popular Referendum, of YES or NO, stated that the Yes had won with 69%, and the result was that the YES had received 45%. They got it wrong by 24 points. There are other exit polls. It’s not that they have more veracity than CEDATOS, but at least they haven’t got it wrong like in the case of CEDATOS, which has a history of mistakes.
The exit poll of ECUASONDEOS puts Rafael Correa at 38%, Álvaro Noboa at 14.7 %, Lucio Gutiérrez at 14.3%, Guillermo Lasso at 13.4%, Alberto Acosta at 5.6%, Nelson Zavala at 2.2%, Mauricio Rodas at 1.8%, Norman Wray at 1%, Nulls at 5%, and Blanks at 4%.
According to the numbers of that exit poll, there would be a second round between Rafael Correa and Álvaro Noboa, but I don’t believe that decisions are made, either by the exit poll by CEDATOS, nor by the exit poll of ECUASONDEOS, and I believe that there is such an atmosphere of suspicion, what’s more, I have to repeat that, as CEDATOS had been mistaken in 2011, we are going to ask the National Electoral Counsel to open the ballot boxes.
There we will see, counting vote by vote, if Mr. Correa falls 25 points, and I go up 30, just to give an example. Thank you very much.
Press: Do you not recognize the results that are being presented at this moment, and if the CNE, with the official numbers will be a few hours, if they give a similar result, will you not recognize them.
Álvaro Noboa: I will not recognize them at all.
Press: Will you submit a suit against the OAS?
Álvaro Noboa: I will simply ask for the ballot boxes to be opened, and for the vote to be counted one by one. That is the only way.
Press: That will be the second time you are requesting it.
Álvaro Noboa: Yes, and the last time I won the election against Mahuad.
Press: But, you continue to completely reject the results?
Álvaro Noboa: But totally.
Press: But the results in which you are basing yourself are also polls, which would be the same as some exit polls.
Álvaro Noboa: I’ve just explained it, Mr. Journalist, that I am not saying either one poll or the other or the other, is the result. It’s in the ballot boxes.
Press: And if the CNE decides in your favor and opens the ballot boxes, but the results are the same as we know now?
Álvaro Noboa: I’ll recognize them then.
Press: Will you campaign for a sixth time if Rafael Correa’s victory is recognized.
Álvaro Noboa: I have already said before, and I haven’t changed my point of view: while the Chief of State as long as the Chief of State hasn’t gotten Ecuadorians out of poverty, he would continue working politically for Ecuador to get out of poverty; as long as there was persecution against him, as long as there was persecution of the press, for example, the persecution of El Universo, and many TV channels, even Ecuavisa, which is without its license being renewed, they have two or three channels in the same position, Canal Uno and, I believe, one or two other channels; while there was such an atmosphere of terror, I have to continue running. Thank you very much.
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