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Sacked Ecuadorean MPs reinstated Sacked Ecuadorean MPs reinstated
(about 3 hours later)
Ecuador's top court has reinstated 57 lawmakers sacked last month for trying to block President Rafael Correa's call for a referendum on political reform.Ecuador's top court has reinstated 57 lawmakers sacked last month for trying to block President Rafael Correa's call for a referendum on political reform.
It is not clear if the ruling will take effect immediately.
The constitutional court's decision follows an appeal by the legislators against an electoral court ruling.The constitutional court's decision follows an appeal by the legislators against an electoral court ruling.
Last week President Correa celebrated a landslide win in the referendum for a people's assembly that will bypass Congress and rewrite the constitution. Mr Correa said the decision was "shameless" and did not say if he would accept it as valid.
Last week he won a landslide victory in the poll for an assembly to bypass Congress and write a new constitution.
Announcing the latest verdict, the head of Ecuador's top court, Santiago Velasquez, said the decision taken last month to sack the 57 congressmen and women was unconstitutional.
His court voted by a margin of 6-3 to reinstate the sacked congressmen.
Opposing views
But Mr Correa insisted that the lawmakers had been sacked for incompetence, and did not deserve their jobs back.
"They [court judges] struck a shameless deal with the 57 dismissed lawmakers," he said.
However, the BBC's South America correspondent, Daniel Schweimler, says it is by no means certain that the 57 will be able to resume their old jobs.
Correspondents say that, despite the decision to reinstate them, the 57 members of Congress will find their powers considerably reduced once the constituent assembly is in place.Correspondents say that, despite the decision to reinstate them, the 57 members of Congress will find their powers considerably reduced once the constituent assembly is in place.
Mr Correa has been embroiled in a bitter conflict with the opposition Congress since taking power in January.Mr Correa has been embroiled in a bitter conflict with the opposition Congress since taking power in January.
He has argued that Congress is corrupt and the cause of many of the country's problems.He has argued that Congress is corrupt and the cause of many of the country's problems.
Mr Correa's opponents fear he will use the assembly to try and weaken the power of the legislature.Mr Correa's opponents fear he will use the assembly to try and weaken the power of the legislature.