World

Bolivia’s Interim President Introduces Draft Law on Elections in Parliament

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – Bolivia’s interim president Jeanine Anez introduced a draft law on elections in the parliament to lay the groundwork for forming the new Supreme Electoral Tribunal and holding the general election in the wake of resignation of ex-President Evo Morales amid unrest.
Sputnik

Morales stood down and fled to Mexico earlier in November amid mass protests that followed his victory in the October presidential election. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal said Morales won the vote in the first round but the opposition did not recognize the vote results and said there were regularities in the vote-counting process.

"The draft law may be further reworked but the government would like to see it as a core document [for holding the next presidential election]," Anez told a press conference on Wednesday, as quoted by the state-run ABI news agency.

Justice Minister Alvaro Coimbra, who participated in the press conference, too, said that the government sought to determine the composition of the tribunal within 15 days. The minister added that the authorities would take international organizations’ recommendations into account when forming the body.

On Wednesday, Anez told reporters that a new date of general elections might be held later on that day.

At the same time, the upper house of the parliament, which is controlled by the party of former President Eco Morales, believes that holding the elections without passing the law on the voting is illegal. The lawmakers have submitted their version of the law to the constitutional commission.

Morales has characterized the situation in Bolivia as a coup and said he wanted to return to the country. However, the ex-president said he needed security guarantees from the interim authorities.

Discuss