QUITO, Ecuador -- Ecuador's biggest political party on Sunday tapped outspoken lawmaker Xavier Neira to run for president in October to replace the party's leader who had been leading the polls.

The Guayaquil-based Social Christian Party backed the 55-year-old congressman after its leader, former president Leon Febres Cordero (1984-88), opted out of the race last month and said he would back Neira instead.

Until July, the former president had led polls along with banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, and Ecuador's political panorama is now wide open, with close to 80 percent of voters still undecided, Reuters reported.

Neira was trade minister in the 1980s during Febres Cordero's administration, the last time the Center-Right Party had one of its members in the presidential palace.

He is currently the party's bloc leader in Congress.

Social Christian Party Secretary Xavier Buitron told Reuters via telephone that Neira had been chosen as the party's presidential candidate in Guayaquil on Sunday.

Ecuador will head to the polls Oct. 20 to elect a new president, vice-president and 100-legislator Congress.

Neira has yet to reveal the details of his political platform, but Buitron said a key component would be to crack down on rising crime.

Political analysts say Neira lacks the charisma needed to carry as many votes as Febres Cordero, the tough-talking 71-year-old leader who is remembered for crushing budding insurgency groups during his presidency.

A spate of new independent candidates has emerged in recent weeks and this Andean nation of 12 million people now has at least nine potential presidential candidates, although none have officially signed up to run just two weeks before the Aug. 20 deadline for candidate registration.

--- Moeller Opts Out --- Ecuador's confusing presidential race lost one participant this weekend when Foreign Affairs Minister Heinz Moeller said he would abstain from running as planned.

The loquacious politician, and former president of congress had said he would resign from the ministry in July to avoid tainting the last six months of President Gustavo Noboa's term with political overtones.

Noboa, who was thrust into office from the vice-presidency after his predecessor was ousted in a 2000 uprising, has said he will not run for president in October.

Ecuador's new leader will face the tough task of keeping the economy on track since the cash-strapped country adopted the U.S. dollar in 2000, and fighting corruption.