Exit polls in Ecuador indicate voters have overwhelmingly approved President Rafael Correa's proposal to establish an assembly to rewrite the country's constitution.
The Cedatos-Gallup poll says 78 percent of voters supported the referendum that Mr. Correa says will help end government corruption and inefficiency.
However, critics accuse the leftist president of trying to centralize power around himself by stripping authority from the country's unpopular congress. Mr. Correa's plans to redefine the government are similar to what his ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, has done in his country.
Mr. Correa, who became president in January, had threatened to resign if the proposal was not approved.
Earlier this year, the nation's electoral court fired 57 opposition lawmakers who attempted to block the referendum.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
