GUAYAQUIL (Reuters) – Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa has decreed that Planning Minister Sariha Moya act as interim vice-president until Vice President Veronica Abad arrives in Turkey to represent the country there, the minister of government said on Thursday, the latest development in a long spat between Noboa and Abad.
The labor ministry suspended Abad, who is also the nation’s ambassador to Israel, from her post in November, accusing her of committing a serious disciplinary offense by not complying with an order to travel to Turkey due to security concerns during the conflict in Gaza.
A court then overturned the suspension in December and the same day Noboa ordered Abad to go to Turkey to act as temporary counselor at the country’s embassy there.
Noboa has designated Moya, who he previously tapped as temporary vice president, to once again act as interim until January 22 or when Abad arrives in Turkey, minister of government Jose De La Gasca said during a press conference.
Noboa and Abad, who were elected last year to finish their predecessors’ terms, have repeatedly clashed. Abad has denied any wrongdoing.
Noboa is running for re-election in February and had been seen as unlikely to take an unpaid campaign leave if it would mean Abad would briefly be in charge of Ecuador.
Gasca said on Thursday that Noboa is not obliged to take leave during the campaign.
(Reporting by Yury Garcia; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb)
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