Opposition Calls For New Presidential Election in Bolivia
Protesters have taken to the streets throughout Bolivia to dispute the reelection of President Evo Morales. (Wikipedia)
Allegations that President Evo Morales rigged Bolivia’s October 20 presidential election, which gave him a fourth mandate to the presidency, have sparked violent protests and calls for new elections.
Despite winning the election by a margin of 10 points, Morales’ legitimacy is mired in controversy because the election initially seemed close enough to require a run-off. Suddenly, the vote count halted, but when it resumed the percentage of voted in favor of Morales spiked. The opposition coalition, who supported the runner-up Carlos Mesa, has accused Morales of systematic fraud and called for a new election.
The political tensions caused thousands of protestors to take to the streets where Morales supporters and opposition members have clashed. The unrest turned violent this week and two protestors were killed in the eastern Bishop Santistevan province.
Morales permitted an audit of the election by the Organization of American States in order quell unrest. The audit has yet to be completed. However, during the audit process, he has also called on supporters to cut off access points to cities to make it harder for protesters to mobilize. However, this has only further angered the opposition and curtailed the movement of people and goods throughout the country.
“Bolivians are upset over fraud and we will not be silent in the face of injustice,” said Diego Tamayo, a university student who has helped lead many of the protests against Morales. “Never in my life have I seen a mobilization of this scale.”
The opposition is now making stronger demands as they want new elections to be held, or Morales to step down.
As the country awaits the results of the audit, in the hands of 20 OAS technicians, it is clear that the unrest caused by the accusation stems from precedent fear of the opposition coalition that Morales has taken measures to preserve his power while ignoring democratic institutions.
When Morales was elected, the Bolivian constitution limited the presidency to two terms. However, this most recent election is Morales’ fourth. In 2016 he put forward a referendum to do away with the term limit, but it was rejected by voters. Nevertheless, Morales has been able to continue to run for reelection as the court, packed with government loyalist, has signed off on it. This has created fear amongst the opposition that Morales has eroded the constitution and democratic institutions of the country.
These same fears are those that are playing out in the current protests, according to political scientists.“We find ourselves in a volatile and uncertain moment,” said Marcelo Arequipa, a political analyst in La Paz.