- Title: 'Inexplicable' - OAS questions Bolivia vote count
- Date: 22nd October 2019
- Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 21, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS, MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) ELECTORAL OBSERVER MISSION TO BOLIVIA'S ELECTIONS DESCEND STAIRS FOR NEWS CONFERENCE HEAD OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) ELECTORAL OBSERVER MISSION TO BOLIVIA'S ELECTIONS AND FORMER COSTA RICAN FOREIGN MINISTER, MANUEL GONZALEZ, AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HEAD OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) ELECTORAL OBSERVER MISSION TO BOLIVIA'S ELECTIONS, MANUEL GONZALEZ, SAYING: "The OAS Mission manifests its profound worry and surprise at the drastic and difficult to explain change in the trend of the preliminary results seen after polls closed. At 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, October 20 the Supreme Electoral Court issued the results of the Rapid Transmission of Preliminary Results, known as the 'TREP.' Those numbers clearly indicated a second round, a trend that coincided with the only authorized rapid count and statistics from the observation mission." GONZALEZ BEGINNING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HEAD OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) ELECTORAL OBSERVER MISSION TO BOLIVIA'S ELECTIONS, MANUEL GONZALEZ, SAYING: "At 8:10 p.m. yesterday the Supreme Electoral Court decided in session to halt the disclosure of preliminary results with more than 80% of records counted. 24 hours later, the Court presented data with an inexplicable change in trend which drastically modified the end result of the election and generates a loss of trust in the electoral process. In due time the (OAS) mission will publish a report of recommendations with regards to a second round. We urge the electoral authorities to firmly defend the will of Bolivia's citizenry." GONZALEZ LISTENING TO QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HEAD OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) ELECTORAL OBSERVER MISSION TO BOLIVIA'S ELECTIONS, MANUEL GONZALEZ, SAYING: "We continue to hope that the results of the final count are in line with the will of the voters as expressed at the ballot box and that the integrity of voting is respected." VARIOUS, NEWS CONFERENCE CONCLUDES, OAS ELECTORAL OBSERVERS DEPART
- Embargoed: 5th November 2019 03:38
- Keywords: Bolivia elections President Evo Morales candidate opposition Supreme Electoral Court Organization of American States electoral observer
- Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- City: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
- Country: Bolivia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001B26HKJR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The head of the Organization of American States' electoral observer mission on Monday (October 21) called the Bolivian electoral authorities' announcement that President Evo Morales had enough votes to win his hotly contested election "inexplicable."
The electoral board halted a preliminary vote count late on Sunday (October 20) with results then showing the election going to a second round run-off for the first time in over a decade. The abrupt pause fueled concerns among election monitors and foreign governments over potential vote tampering.
"Those numbers clearly indicated a second round, a trend that coincided with the only authorized rapid count and statistics from the observation mission," Manuel Gonzalez, the head of the mission, said.
Gonzalez said the change in one day was "inexplicable" and a blow to voters' trust in the electoral process, but his comments fell short of calling the results illegitimate.
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