Quito, November 30 (RHC)-- Former Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa is warning about a breach of Constitutional order in his country and has charged his former ally, President Lenin Moreno, with staging a "coup d’état”, following Moreno's decree to move forward with a controversial referendum vote.

"I hope Ecuador and the entire world understands we are facing a coup d'etat," Correa said at a press conference with international media at the Quito headquarters of the PAIS Alliance Thursday.

"They want to call an unconstitutional referendum by intentionally ignoring the constitutional courts report, which is mandatory," Correa said.

Correa referred to Moreno's issuing of a decree Wednesday directing the country's electoral council to convene his "Popular Consultation," in which Ecuadoreans would vote on seven questions ranging from extending the size of a protected area in the Amazon, to disallowing public servants found guilty of corruption from running for office.

The former president maintains that two of the questions, including one that would eliminate the possibility of reelection, are unconstitutional and that Moreno's decree is illegal given the pending ruling at the country's constitutional court on the questions.

"They know that the questions in that referendum are unconstitutional and wouldn't have been approved by the court: this is very serious, a violation of the Constitution that is taking place; a coup is taking place," Correa said, noting that the head of the Constitutional Court, Alfredo Ruiz, called for a meeting on Dec. 5 to deal with concerns from court members.

Correa alleges that Ruiz informed the current president that the questions would not be approved by the court, prompting Moreno to issue the decree.