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Ecuador's Noboa asks dollar bill be passed as sent

By Jose Llangari

RIOBAMBA, Ecuador, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Ecuador's new President Gustavo Noboa asked Congress on Friday to quickly pass a controversial package of bills to boost and ``dollarize'' the country's crisis-struck economy with as few changes as possible.

Noboa, who replaced President Jamil Mahuad last month after a brief bloodless uprising, said Congress should put aside partisan or private politics and instead focus on what he said would be best for the impoverished country of 12.4 million people.

The proposals to adopt the U.S. dollar as Ecuador's main currency and open up the country's oil, energy and telecommunications sectors to foreign investment are due to begin debate in Congress on Monday.

``All I ask is that the bill be passed like it was meant to be. If not, the dollarization and modernization of the economy will suffer grave delays,'' said Noboa while visiting a military base in the city of Riobamba, about 125 miles (200 km) south of Quito.

``My message is that the law's essential elements should not be modified out of chauvinistic reasons,'' the 62-year-old lawyer and academic said.

The bills, which Noboa sent to Congress on Monday, met sharp criticism from indigenous groups, unions and student groups when they were originally unveiled by Mahuad in early January.

Mahuad was due to officially present them to Congress on Jan. 21 but protesting indigenous groups seeking his ouster won military support, triggering a brief coup which later installed Noboa, Mahuad's vice president, as the new president.

A poll published Sunday found that 73 percent of Ecuadoreans are opposed to the ``dollarization'' plan, fearful the move will hike prices but keep their salaries low.

But Noboa said he would not back down on the project.

``Dollarization has to be passed and it has to be now. Once the bill is approved, we will show the world that we are a serious country and we will be able to get international help.''

Noboa claims adopting the dollar will tame wild inflation and lure foreign investment into the country, creating jobs and spurring economic growth after a 7.5 percent contraction last year.

Legislative sources say Noboa counts with the support of 80 of the 123 deputies in Ecuador's unicameral Congress, which has 30 days as of Feb. 14 to debate the bills since they have been tagged as ``emergency'' issues.