- Title: BOLIVIA: Bolivian president on hunger strike over vote law
- Date: 11th April 2009
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OPPOSITION SENATOR WALTER GUITERAS SAYING: "Congress is absolutely independent of the executive branch. We think it's a confusing act, that the president is blackmailing via the strike. Hunger strikes can't be used within the logic and dynamics of democracy, within the terms of the coherence of law, to try get something. It's seems absolutely shameles
- Embargoed: 26th April 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA5X6FOKSU9JJM4AP03E7137DP4
- Story Text: Bolivian President Evo Morales starts hunger strike over electoral law as Congress debate grinds to a halt.
Bolivian President Evo Morales went on a hunger strike on Thursday (April 09) to demand Congress pass an electoral law that could make it easier for him to win control of the legislature in December's general election.
Tensions flared last week when members of the ruling Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, party clashed with the opposition over the bill, which could help the leftist president by assigning more seats to poorer, rural areas.
Morales' allies control the lower house, but the opposition holds a majority in the Senate, allowing his opponents to block the election reform proposal in the Andean country.
"The people come first. The country comes first, later come the interests of the regions and sectors. I send a true greeting to those comrades who are defending democracy, the people's vote, the people's vote from outside the country and other demands of a structural nature through this effort they make, through this hunger strike." Morales said in La Paz.
A new constitution designed to give more power and rights to the country's indigenous majority was approved by more than 60 percent of voters in late January. Morales is Bolivia's first indigenous president.
The constitution calls for Congress to approve an electoral law ratifying Dec. 6 as the date for a general election.
Bolivian Julio Pinto said the hunger strike is a power play by the government.
"I'm surprised by the news because until midnight all the MAS representatives were going to resign to close down Congress, but they couldn't do that. This measure seems to me to be a way to pressure so the government can get what they want with electoral system," he said.
The opposition has rejected the bill because it gives 14 seats to minority indigenous groups which, they say, amounts to handing them to Morales, since he champions indigenous rights.
Opposition senator Walter Guiteras called Morales' move 'shameless' and put it outside the framework of democracy.
"Congress is absolutely independent of the executive branch. We think it's a confusing act that the president is blackmailing via the strike.
Hunger strike can't be used within the logic and dynamics of democracy, within the terms of the coherence of law, to try get something. It's seems absolutely shameless to me," he said.
Morales' opponents also want a new electoral register ahead of the election, saying the current census is not reliable.
Bolivia's National Electoral Court has said it would take at least nine months to create a new register, which would imply the deferral of December's vote.
Bolivia, the poorest country in South America, has been racked by decades of political upheaval. The opposition is split ahead of December's vote, when Morales will stand for reelection and 166 lawmakers will be chosen.
Leading opposition party Podemos has yet to announce a presidential candidate. Several low-profile right-wing and center-left politicians plan to run against Morales. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None