SUMA Party explained

SUMA Party
Native Name:Partido Sociedad Unida Más Acción
Leader:Guillermo Celi
Secretary:Cristina López
Seats1 Title:Seats in the National Assembly
Seats1:including alliances
Seats3 Title:Prefects
Seats3:including alliances
Seats4 Title:Mayors
Seats4:including alliances
Ideology:Neoliberalism
Headquarters:Quito
Website:https://www.suma.ec/
Country:Ecuador
Colors:Turquoise
White
Orange
Youth Wing:Youth SUMA 23
Membership:153,414 (2016)[1]
Position:Right-wing
National:Democratic Convergence for Unity (2015-2016)
Alliance for Change (2016-2023)
Let's Act (2023-)

The United Society - More Action, or SUMA Party (Spanish: Partido Sociedad Unida Más Acción) is an Ecuadorian political party, founded by Mauricio Rodas and Guillermo Celi in 2012. Initially led by Rodas, until his political retirement in 2019; the party is led by Celi.

History

Mauricio Rodas and Guillermo Celi founded the party in 2012, and attempted to register the party on May 15 with the National Electoral Council (CNE). Due to signature verification issues, the CNE rejected the party's registration.[2] Following this, the party appealed to the, which ruled in favor of SUMA; registering the party on November 1, 2012, with the electoral number 23. SUMA participated in the 2013 Ecuadorian general election, coming in fourth place in the presidential election receiving 3.9% of the vote, and obtaining one seat in the general assembly.[3]

Following the 2013 general election, Rodas launched his campaign for Metropolitan Mayor of Quito, winning the position in the 2014 local elections against then incumbent mayor Augusto Barrera, with 61% of the vote. At the national level, the party won 3 prefecture seats and 15 other mayorships. After taking office, Rodas began rapprochement with other parties and figures opposed to the government of Rafael Correa. On February 23, 2015, Rodas met with Jaime Nebot, the former mayor of Guayaquil, and, the former prefect of Azuay, forming the coalition . SUMA participated in the coalition until October 7, 2016, in order to join the coalition, formed and led by Guillermo Lasso and his CREO party.[4] [5] Following the 2017 Ecuadorian general election, SUMA received 8 seats.

Although Rodas began his period in the Metropolitan Mayor's Office of Quito with considerable popular acceptance, poor management, corruption scandals, among many other problems of his administration, eroded his political image; therefore, after finishing his term at the head of the capital municipality, he retired from national politics and went to reside in Mexico. Rodas' scandals tarnished SUMA's image,[6] so the movement sought to participate in the through multiple electoral alliances, mainly with right-wing and centrist political organizations, notably absent in the race for the mayoralty of Quito, after Mauricio Rodas' refusal to run for re-election. During the local elections, SUMA obtained two prefectures and 13 mayorships.

After Rodas' departure, the party's leadership was assumed by Guillermo Celi, who ran as SUMA's candidate in the 2021 Ecuadorian general election, obtaining tenth place, with only 0.91% of the vote. In the simultaneous legislative elections, the party did not win any seats. In the presidential runoff, Celi and SUMA once again supported Lasso, who was ultimately elected. Thus, after Guillermo Lasso took office, SUMA became part of government, with, a party member, being appointed as Minister of Sports as a political quota.

In the extraordinary 2023 Ecuadorian general election, SUMA, together with the, formed the Let's Act alliance, nominating former Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner, who finished in fifth place.

Electoral results

Presidential elections

chart

YearCandidatesFirst RoundSecond RoundResultsNotes
PresidentVice PresidentVotes%Votes%
2013Mauricio RodasInes Manzano335,5323.90%4th place
2017Guillermo LassoVeronica Seville2,653,40328.09%4,833,38948.84%2nd placeIn alliance with CREO
2021Guillermo Celi84,7370.91%10th place
2023Otto SonnenholznerErika Paredes696,5487.06%5th placPart of the Let's Act alliance

Legislative elections

YearVotes%Seats+/-Notes
20132,829,0343.22%
201720,589,46020.06% 33In alliance with CREO
2021135,0221.68% 34
2023377,9534.51% 7Part of the Let's Act alliance

Local Elections

YearPrefectsMayors
% of VotesNo. of Prefectures% of VotesNo. of Mayors
20148.69%6.79%
20198.69%5.88%
20234.35%11.31%

References

  1. Web site: La CC aún no tramita el pedido de aclaración por supuesta estafa . 6 September 2016 .
  2. Web site: 2012-07-28 . Miles de firmas falsas constan en el registro electoral del CNE . 2024-05-23 . El Universo . es.
  3. Web site: 2013 elecciones generales diecisiete de febrero . 2024-05-23 . www.cne.gob.ec.
  4. Web site: 2016-10-07 . El movimiento Suma ya no hace parte de la Unidad . 2024-05-23 . El Universo . es.
  5. Web site: 2016-10-29 . Alianza por el Cambio, nueva plataforma electoral de Guillermo Lasso . 2024-05-23 . El Universo . es.
  6. Web site: Jugadores 2021: SUMA enfrenta la carrera presidencial en solitario . 2024-05-23 . Primicias . es.