Demands for a New Referendum in Bolivia Grow Stronger

Edited by Pavel Jacomino
2016-05-26 16:03:11

Pinterest
Telegram
Linkedin
WhatsApp

La Paz, May 26 (RHC-PL) -- The demands by several social sectors in Bolivia for a new referendum are growing stronger, after the conspiracy carried out by right-forces in order to tarnish President Morales' image during the last referendum was revealed.

On February 21st, citizens were summoned to the polls to vote on a constitutional reform that would allow the re-nomination of President Morales and Vice-president Álvaro García Linera.

However, days before that journalist and U.S. undercover agent Carlos Valverde, accused the Head of State of alleged peddling in favour of his former partner Gabriela Zapata, who had been a commercial manager at the Chinese company CAMC, and with whom he supposedly shared a son.

After several months of media harassment, investigations proved that all allegations were based on lies and the scandal deprived the population of a serious political debate before the consultation, in which those voting NO to the re-nomination won by a tight margin.

According to Leonilda Zurita, President of the Departmental Legislative Assembly of Cochabamba, only "lies and the dirty media war" won the referendum.

Zurita adds that is possible to activate the Citizen Legislative Initiative to modify the Constitution and guarantee the presidential re-election.

Meanwhile, Cochabamba's Federation of Women Farmers Bartolina Sisa started to collect signatures to reach the 20 percent of the electoral roll and achieve a referendum by Citizen Initiative, as established in Paragraph 2, Article 411 of the Constitution, said organization leader Natividad Sánchez.

Coca leaf producers also voiced their willingness to start a campaign to ask for a second constitutional referendum.

Members of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party also voiced their support to a new consultation.

 



Commentaries


MAKE A COMMENT
All fields required
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED
captcha challenge
up