The current President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, announced the holding of new elections of the Head of state against the background of protests and after the publication of the preliminary report of the Organization of American States on the verification of the vote count.
“I decided, firstly, to completely update the composition of the Supreme Election Court, secondly, to appoint new general elections, through which people can democratically elect new politicians”, – Morales said during a press conference broadcast by ATB.
He also called on the people to “reduce tension” and “put an end to violence for the benefit of all”.
Protests in Bolivia broke out on October 20 and continue to this day, during which time more than 380 people were affected. It was reported that in three large cities – Santa Cruz, Sucre and Cochabamba – law enforcement officials joined the protesters. At the same time, the police leadership claims that there is no riot among the guards, and the authorities promised not to send troops.
The reason for the riots was the results of the vote count in the presidential election. According to the Bolivian High Election Court, Morales won the first round, but his main rival, Carlos Mesa, did not recognize the results of the vote.
Morales believes that right-wing forces are behind the mass protests, dissatisfied with his re-election.
The Organization of American States, which acted as an observer in the elections, as a result of the audit found a number of violations. A group of auditors in a preliminary report indicated that it was “statistically unlikely” that Morales could gain enough votes to avoid the second round.