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Traditionally, Ecuador has had two political parties: the Conservative party and the Liberal party. The Conservative party represented the country's aristocracy and Church, while the Liberal party represented the wealthy mercantile elite. The Liberals insisted in the separation of Church and State. This dual party system remained until the mid 1900's, when the increase of voters and a liberalization of rules regarding political parties gave rise to multiple organizations that, at their height in the mid 1980's, numbered over 17. Today, after a re-organization of political powers, there are approximately 10 political parties. The major ones are: the center-left leaning Popular Democracy (DP), the Left Democracy (ID), the center-right Social Christian party (PSC), the populist Roldosista party (PRE), and Pachacutik-Nuevo País, a relatively new party led by indigenous people mostly of the Sierra and Amazon region. The Pachacutik-Nuevo País has increasingly gained influence over politics while the traditional Conservative and Liberal parties have almost disappeared in the political spectrum.
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