The Social Christian Party (Spanish: Partido Social Cristiano; PSC) is a center-right political party in Ecuador.
The party was founded by Camilo Ponce Enríquez and was initially focused on Quito. Since the 1980s, however, the party's popularity is greatest on the coastal areas, particularly around Ecuador's economic center and most populous city, Guayaquil, and in coastal provinces, such as Guayas, El Oro, Los Rios, and Manabi, which constitute about half of the country's population. However, as a sign of deep regional divide on politics, the party has little power in the Andean region. Thus, while holding all major positions in Guayas and Guayaquil, the PSC has not held the presidential office since the presidency of León Febres Cordero, its only one until now. Sixto Durán Ballén was president also but not as PSC's candidate. In fact, he was part of the political party until before the elections for the period 1992-1996, when he decided to split for his own party, the UR (Unión Republicana) because the PSC appointed Jaime Nebot as their candidate. Nebot was the party's presidential candidate again in 1996. He won first place in the first round with 28% of the vote, but lost in the runoff with 46% of the vote.
Its candidate Antonio Xavier Neira Menéndez won 12.2 percent of the vote in the 2002 presidential election. Its candidate in the 2006 presidential election was Cynthia Viteri. She garnered 9.91 percent of the overall votes cast and failed to enter into the second round of runoff voting. Neira and Viteri both came in 5th place. At the 2006 legislative elections, the party won 13 of the 100 seats, much less than last period.
After León Febres Cordero decease, Jaime Nebot took the lead of the party, and split it into a coalition with his provincial brother party called "Madera de Guerrero", an allusion to a song of the folklore of Guayaquil with the same name. This coalition is the third force in the National Assembly(parliament).
Famous quotes containing the words social, christian and/or party:
“Cursed be the social wants that sin against the strength of youth!
Cursed be the social lies that warp us from the living truth!”
—Alfred Tennyson (18091892)
“My Christian friends, in bonds of love, whose hearts in sweetest union join,
Your friendships like a drawing band, yet we must take the parting hand.
Your companys sweet, your union dear; Your words delightful to my ear,
Yet when I see that we must part, You draw like cords around my heart.”
—John Blain (18th century)
“From now on, I think it is safe to predict, neither the Democratic nor the Republican Party will ever nominate for President a candidate without good looks, stage presence, theatrical delivery, and a sense of timing.”
—James Thurber (18941961)