BOLIVIA: President Evo Morales announces the approval of law that may oust elected opponents

Record ID: 767380

  • Title: BOLIVIA: President Evo Morales announces the approval of law that may oust elected opponents
  • Date: 26th May 2010
  • Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (MAY 25, 2010) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF NEWSSTAND NEWSPAPER HEADLINE, READING: "GOVERNORS WHO DO NOT SWEAR IN SUCRE WON'T HOLD THEIR OFFICE"
  • Embargoed: 10th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3G427XC900Q3JFFZ4AJR32ERR
  • Story Text: Bolivian President Evo Morales declared on Monday (May 24) the official approval of a law that could threaten the office of three state governors from the opposition party.
    The transitional autonomy law was approved on Sunday after a week of debates and long sessions in the country's Senate and Congress.
    It was only officially announced by Morales on Monday night after deputies from the opposition party called for an unsuccessful review of the order.
    At the government palace, the Bolivian leader said that corrupt politicians should fear the new ruling.
    "Any elected authority who hasn't robbed or who doesn't plan to rob, doesn't need to fear this law. But if someone has robbed or is planning to rob, one should be afraid of (the law) and make an objection," he said.
    The new law allows the government to suspend terms of governors elected on April 4, who face charges of corruption if such investigations lead to a formal accusation.
    Morales said the ruling applies to all nine governors, but the opposition say it targets them because the government has already made specific accusations of corruption against the governors of Santa Cruz, Tarija and Beni.
    Several opposition deputies disapproved the ruling and raised banners with protest messages during the Congress' session.
    Opposition deputy Adriana Gil said the government was trying to get rid of leaders who were legitimately elected.
    "(I vote against the law) because it is an unfair law that wants the judge's approval, which it wasn't able to obtain from the players on the field (deputies) and because it is a dirty law to get rid of those that they weren't able to be at during the elections. My vote is a 'no'," she said.
    The thorny law that establish more autonomous regional governments is part of Morales' efforts to change Bolivia. Since he was elected in 2006, the leader installed a new Constitution and gave the state greater control over the energy and mining sectors.
    Constitutional lawyer Carlos Alarcon said the new move contravened laws.
    "(The State's new political constitution), in a clear article, expressly presumes innocence and puts this above the constitution, above the human rights laws that guaranteed the hypothesis of innocence. The obligation of proving someone guilty is no longer an obligation of the plaintiff neither of the defendant, it becomes (an obligation) of the State through the Prosecutors Office, so we are contravening values," he said.
    Alarcon added that with the new ruling the government is violating the Constitution and taking control of fiscal and legal bodies.
    "Planning to suspend the term of a governor or a mayor with an accusation from an inspector evidently violates the article No. 234 of the Constitution -- and this is a very serious moment we are living in Bolivia, because there is almost a besieging of all the government's fiscal and legal structures," he said.
    On Friday, a protest against the transitional law was held in Santa Cruz. The department's governor, Ruben Costas, said the ruling was unconstitutional.
    "(It's an) illegal law, like many others (ruled by the government), that contradicts the fundaments of its own constitution and which was approved with blood by the ruling party," he said.
    The transitional law determines the transfer of legal duties and administration tasks from the national Government to the new-born department's assemblies that will be installed on May 30.
    On the same date, more than 300 mayors who were elected on April 4 will take office.
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