Bolivia to Have New Elections; Morales Refuses to Run

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November 24, 2019

Peace is the new watchword in Bolivia, as the country looks ahead to new elections while mourning the dead whose lives were cut short in the political chaos that followed the resignation of the country's leader.

Bolivian President Jeanine Anez
Añez
Bolivian President Evo Morales
Morales

Roadblocks have disappeared, as have clashes between supporters of ousted President Evo Morales and security forces. The interim president, Jeanine Añez , a member of the opposition, has signed into law a bill passed by the legislature that calls for a new election within the next few weeks.

Punctuating the relative calm was a minute of silence observation, held in the city of Sacaba, where violence has been the most extensive. Nine people have died in that city in clashes with security forces. Just last week, a U.N. envoy offered to mediate between the two sides, in an effort to head off any new violence.

Morales, the first indigenous leader in the country's history, is now in Mexico, which has accepted him in exile. He resigned on November 10 and also removed the members of the electoral council who had overseen the disputed election, after the 35-member Organization of American States (OAS) recommended that the results of the October 20 election be thrown out. The OAS report found evidence of voting irregularities in counting and computer systems. In particular, the report noted that vote counting was halted with 84 percent of the votes counted and Morales appearing to be heading to a runoff with his opponent, Carlos Mesa, and when the vote tallying resumed after a full day of delay, the result showed Morales with a 10-point victory. The country's electoral rules call for one candidate to get at least 50 percent of the vote or have a 10-percentage lead over the nearest opponent. Polls leading up to the election showed that Mesa and Morales were running neck-and-neck.

The government has yet to set a date for the new elections. Meanwhile, people struggle to return to normal lives.

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Social Studies for Kids
copyright 2002–2023
David White

Social Studies for Kids
copyright 2002–2024
David White