Abstract

Karen Sichel Arciniega’s report assesses Ecuador’s Citizen Participation and Social Oversight Council (CPCCS), with respect to its three main funcitons: fighting corruption; promoting citizen participation and social oversight; and appointing independent public authorities based on their merits. It finds that its efforts to fight corruption were underfunded and misdirected. Its efforts to promote citizen participation and social oversight were manipulated for political purposes. Its appointments to public authorities become a mechanism to legitimise patronage. The report recommends the abolishment of the CPCCS but, acknowledging that the issues behind the creation of the CPCCS are real, it suggests implementing mechanisms to improve vertical accountability.