Sunday’s Bolivian Regional Election Primer

Sunday’s Bolivian Regional Election Primer: MAS Solidifies its Ruling Status as the Political Opposition Falters

Four months have passed since the re-election of President Evo Morales in December 2009. Bolivia is gearing up for yet another round of balloting. On April 4 (Easter Sunday), the ostensibly 95% Catholic population of Bolivia will exercise its civic duty with the blessing of its Catholic bishops. This time, voters will be electing governors for the country’s nine departments as well as the municipal leadership. While President Morales’ party, Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), is expected to win handily the governorships of five of the nine departments, the remaining four races will pit MAS-muscle against opposition parties anxious for a fight but with decreased political weaponry at their disposal.

Bolivia is in the middle of a historic process, one which is unique both in terms of the nature of its leadership and the social values that the ruling party preaches. Evo Morales’ presidency is unprecedented in South America, as he is the first indigenous head of state on the continent and emphatically stands behind a platform of radical social reform and special recognition of indigenous rights. Why else would he have called for renaming the country the “Pluricultural State of Bolivia?” Concurrently, Morales’ original nationalization of energy reserves (which he now is preparing to modify) was done to mollify the country’s native people.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Staff

ENDS

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