President Lenin Moreno presented two decrees to the National Electoral Council calling for a popular vote that he said is needed to restore the country's constitution, whose values he said have been compromised by "vices" within the nation's political process.
The council has 15 days to formally convoke the vote and 60 days to organise it.
The move widened the divide between Moreno and ex- President Rafael Correa, a former ally who now accuses his hand-picked successor of betraying his legacy. Correa, an iron-fisted leader who served as president for a decade over three presidential terms, would be barred from office if voters should repeal the re-election law.
The National Assembly passed an amendment in 2015 lifting presidential term limits, in what critics called a shrewd political move by Correa to further consolidate power.
More From This Section
Correa left office earlier this year and has said he would only come out of political retirement if the social gains from his so-called Citizens' Revolution were threatened.
He called the proposed referendum question asking voters to limit politicians to just one re-election an attempt to thwart his leftist movement.
"Not only would the revolution not continue, what's in the works is a true counter-revolution," he wrote in a recent blog post.
Aside from the question on re-election, the referendum also will tackle corruption and environmental issues like oil exploration and mining. If voters approve, anyone convicted of corruption would be prohibited from participating in politics.
Vice President Jorge Glas was jailed in October on charges of accepting bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht during Correa's administration and is expected to face a criminal trial.
Alianza Pais leaders recently announced that they were removing Moreno as the party's chief, a move the current president's allies and an electoral court consider illegal. Party leaders have called for a December 3 national convention.