Bolivian Elections Need Miracle

Last week’s Congressional vote in Bolivia favors a controversial redistricting plan that may postpone the scheduled December Presidential elections and will certainly influence their eventual outcome .

Critics of the redistricting say it favors candidates Jorge Quiroga (who was educated in the U.S. and served as Bolivia’s President from 2001-2002, and also was the Governor of the World Bank) and Samuel Doria Medina (a “cement magnate” and owner of Bolivian Burger King restaurants) while working against MAS (Movement Towards Socialism) candidate, Evo Morales .

Polls show that Morales is the frontrunner in a very close race, and some feel that the redistricting move is meant to prevent the indigenous, anti-globalist leader from taking power.

La Paz, Oct 18 (PL) The Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia Monday restarted the search for a way out of the crisis imperilling the December 4 general elections.

The president of the Congress, Sandro Giordano, admitted that the legislative entity must solve before Thursday the dispute unleashed by a constitutional court´s decision, which stipulated redistributing constituencies under updated population criteria.

According to predictions, if a solution is not reached before Thursday elections must be postponed, an undesirable option for voters, social organizations and other groups.

The proposals show unyieldingness of regions positively affected by the redistribution and a conciliatory trend, which advocates reducing either the increase or decrease of seats.

That issue is the only obstacle blocking elections, after the constitutional court rejected two appeals last week which demanded nullification of the elections.

Meanwhile, regional pressures remain, with a mass hunger strike in the eastern region of Santa Cruz, demanding another four constituencies, and protests in southern regions of Potosi and Oruro, which refuse to accept a reduction of their seats.

Posted by OCoileain
The pen is mightier!

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