Olsen requested that CAL reform internal rules and suspend employees with family ties
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The president of the National Assembly, Niels Olsen, requested the resignation of more than 40 officials with family ties within the institution. His request included an urgent reform to the internal regulations to prohibit these types of hires.
This decision arose after networks of kinship between assembly members and employees were discovered, which was considered a practice of institutional nepotism. Olsen emphasized that "there was no preference for any political force" and that this was an ethical and equitable measure. The Legislative Administration Council (CAL) approved on July 12 the reform of Article 7 of the Human Talent Regulations to ban familialism at all levels of the Legislature. With this, the aim is to eliminate "viveza criolla" and promote meritocracy.
In the first phase of the cleansing process, eight officials were dismissed and three submitted voluntary resignations. Olsen pointed out that there are still at least 40 confirmed cases under review. The investigations included cross-referencing data with the Civil Registry to certify kinship ties between assembly members and employees. The objective is to apply the measure without partisan distinction or privileges.
X Niels Olsen
This case highlighted that nepotism not only affects transparency but also undermines citizens' trust in the Legislature. Olsen stressed that the Assembly must serve as an example in public ethics. Jurists have pointed out that although the practice was not illegal under previous regulations, it was "unethical" and contrary to principles of good governance.
Additionally, the reform of the Legislative Function's Code of Ethics was promoted, with a one-week deadline for its approval, in order to guarantee its mandatory compliance by all assembly members. President Olsen invited citizens to confidentially report irregularities, reinforcing the message of transparency and cleansing. The Assembly seeks to consolidate trust and legitimacy in its management.
In this context, assembly members from various caucuses—including ADN and PSC—have acknowledged the need to proceed without ideological distinction, setting a unique precedent in Ecuador's legislative history. Niels Olsen's administration emphasized the importance of transparency and ethics in the Assembly. By promoting the removal of relatives and reforming the regulations, he established an institutional precedent that seeks to strengthen public trust and sanction practices of favoritism or nepotism.
