Quito, Nov 1, (RHC9, – Ecuador’s Constitutional Court approved on Friday a reform package for indefinite reelection for the office of President.

The country’s supreme constitutional body concluded that the reform package will now be passed onto the National Assembly to determine whether it becomes law, and that it will not have to be brought to a plebiscite vote.

The constitutional reform was presented by the incumbent party, Alianza Pais.

“This resolution was duly submitted to the country within the proper time limits and has been submitted to the existing regulatory evaluation. It also seeks to protect the rights of Ecuadorean citizens,” said Patricio Pazmiño, President of Ecuador’s Supreme Court in a tweet.

In the face of objection to the reforms by the opposition, on the grounds that President Rafael Correa is looking to stay in office indefinitely, the president said that the right wing’s allegations are intended to “put obstacles in the way of the revolutionary citizens’ project that has been in power since 2007.”

The objective of the amendment is to guarantee citizens the right to reelect an authority that has demonstrated the ability to carry out the people’s mandate, Correa explained. The opposition has supported the reelection of the Guayaquil governor, Jaime Nebot, a rightist, who has been in power for 14 years.

The Constitutional Court ruled that the issue of indefinite terms of office is one of 16 matters to be decided by Ecuador’s National Assembly, in which Alianza holds a majority.