Bolivian vote of confidence referendum, 2008
Encyclopedia
A vote of confidence in President
Evo Morales
in the form of a referendum
was held in Bolivia
on 10 August 2008. The vote was held to determine whether Morales, Vice President
Álvaro García Linera
, and eight out of nine departmental
Prefect
s should stay in office. Morales received more than 67% support and six of the eight prefects were returned. The prefects of Cochabamba Department
and La Paz Department
were defeated and will now face re-election.
brought back the suggestion following their victory in the Santa Cruz autonomy referendum
on 4 May 2008, with Morales agreeing to hold the vote.
The recall election
would be deemed successful if the percentage voting in favour of the recall exceeded the percentage of voters that originally voted for the person. For Morales and Linera, there would have to be more than 53.74% (their margin in the 2005 presidential election
). The same rules apply for the governors, but their margins are between 48% and 38% in La Paz Department
which makes their recall much easier to accomplish. If the recall is successful then fresh elections would be held. Morales has stated that if he stays in office, he will use the referendum result as a springboard for more reforms – for instance, setting a date for the constitutional referendum
which would grant more rights to Bolivia's poor indigenous population. If he loses, he said he would go back to farming coca
.
Polls in May 2008 showed Morales easily defeating the recall.
Following autonomy referendums
held in the second quarter of 2008 in Santa Cruz
, Beni, Pando
and Tarija
, the governors of these four states initially refused to take part in the recall referendum unless the referendum complied with the new autonomy statutes, which the Supreme Electoral Court considers to be invalid; they pushed for early elections to be held instead. Nonetheless, the governors later agreed to participate. However, there were still obstructive measures from these four departments a few days before the referendum.
The recall referendum did not apply to the governor of Chuquisaca Department
, as Savina Cuéllar
was just elected very recently in June 2008. Cuéllar was a member of the Bolivian Constituent Assembly
for Morales' Movement for Socialism
, but ran for governorship of Chuquisaca as the candidate of the opposition Interinstitutional Committee Alliance, winning with 55% to MAS' Wálter Valda's 45%. The gubernatorial election was held after the previous governor, David Sánchez of MAS, resigned (against the wish of his party) due to violent protests.
Shortly before the election, the rules were changed, though the legality of this move remains in doubt; under the new rules, the governors will be removed from office if over 50% of voters recall them, effectively raising the threshold required.
President of Bolivia
The President of Bolivia is head of state and head of government of Bolivia. According to the current Constitution, the president is elected by popular vote to a five year term, renewable once...
Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
in the form of a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was held in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
on 10 August 2008. The vote was held to determine whether Morales, Vice President
Vice President of Bolivia
This is a list of Vice Presidents of Bolivia, the second highest political position in Bolivia. There are several gaps in the list, caused by intermittent political turmoil. The names of Vice Presidents who also were President at one time or another are given in bold text...
Álvaro García Linera
Álvaro García Linera
Álvaro Marcelo García Linera is a Bolivian politician who has been Vice President of Bolivia since 2006.-Biography:He was born in Cochabamba and graduated from San Agustín High School. Then, he studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City and became a mathematician...
, and eight out of nine departmental
Departments of Bolivia
Bolivia is divided into nine departments . Each of the departments is subdivided into provinces , which are further subdivided into municipalities ....
Prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
s should stay in office. Morales received more than 67% support and six of the eight prefects were returned. The prefects of Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba is one of the nine component departments of Bolivia. It is known to be the "granary" of the country because of its variety of agricultural products due to Cochabamba's geographical position. It has an area of 55,631 km². Its population, in the 2007 census, was 1,750,000...
and La Paz Department
La Paz Department (Bolivia)
The La Paz Department of Bolivia comprises with a 2001 census population of 2,350,466 inhabitants. It is situated at the western border of Bolivia, sharing Lake Titicaca with Peru. It contains the mighty Cordillera Real that reaches altitudes of . Northeast of the Cordillera Real are the Yungas,...
were defeated and will now face re-election.
Background
The referendum was initially suggested by Morales in December 2007, but was rejected by the opposition at the time. However, the opposition-controlled SenateNational Congress of Bolivia
The Plurinational Legislative Assembly also known as the National Congress is the national legislature of Bolivia, based in the nation's de facto capital, La Paz....
brought back the suggestion following their victory in the Santa Cruz autonomy referendum
Santa Cruz autonomy referendum, 2008
A referendum to approve the autonomy statute of Santa Cruz Department of Bolivia was held on 4 May 2008. The vote resulted from strains between the Prefecture of Santa Cruz and President Evo Morales. The referendum was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the National Electoral Court. Final...
on 4 May 2008, with Morales agreeing to hold the vote.
The recall election
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
would be deemed successful if the percentage voting in favour of the recall exceeded the percentage of voters that originally voted for the person. For Morales and Linera, there would have to be more than 53.74% (their margin in the 2005 presidential election
Bolivian presidential election, 2005
The 2005 Bolivian presidential election was held on December 18, 2005. The two main candidates were Evo Morales of the Movement Towards Socialism Party, and Jorge Quiroga, leader of the Democratic and Social Power Party and former head of the Acción Democrática Nacionalista Party. Felipe Quispe,...
). The same rules apply for the governors, but their margins are between 48% and 38% in La Paz Department
La Paz Department (Bolivia)
The La Paz Department of Bolivia comprises with a 2001 census population of 2,350,466 inhabitants. It is situated at the western border of Bolivia, sharing Lake Titicaca with Peru. It contains the mighty Cordillera Real that reaches altitudes of . Northeast of the Cordillera Real are the Yungas,...
which makes their recall much easier to accomplish. If the recall is successful then fresh elections would be held. Morales has stated that if he stays in office, he will use the referendum result as a springboard for more reforms – for instance, setting a date for the constitutional referendum
Bolivian constitutional referendum, 2008
A constitutional referendum was held in Bolivia on 25 January 2009, postponed from the initially planned dates of 4 May 2008 and then 7 December 2008. Drafted by the Constituent Assembly in 2007, the new constitution was approved in the referendum according to an exit poll by Ipsos Apoyo for La...
which would grant more rights to Bolivia's poor indigenous population. If he loses, he said he would go back to farming coca
Coca
Coca, Erythroxylum coca, is a plant in the family Erythroxylaceae, native to western South America. The plant plays a significant role in many traditional Andean cultures...
.
Polls in May 2008 showed Morales easily defeating the recall.
Following autonomy referendums
Bolivian autonomy referendums, 2008
Referendums on departmental autonomy statutes were held in four departments of Bolivia—Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, and Tarija—in May and June 2008. These four departments, known as the Media Luna, voted in favor of autonomy in the June 2006 elections. The National Electoral Court had blocked the...
held in the second quarter of 2008 in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz autonomy referendum, 2008
A referendum to approve the autonomy statute of Santa Cruz Department of Bolivia was held on 4 May 2008. The vote resulted from strains between the Prefecture of Santa Cruz and President Evo Morales. The referendum was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the National Electoral Court. Final...
, Beni, Pando
Bolivian autonomy referendums, 2008
Referendums on departmental autonomy statutes were held in four departments of Bolivia—Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, and Tarija—in May and June 2008. These four departments, known as the Media Luna, voted in favor of autonomy in the June 2006 elections. The National Electoral Court had blocked the...
and Tarija
Tarija autonomy referendum, 2008
An autonomy referendum was held in Tarija Department in Bolivia on 22 June 2008, following the autonomy referendum held in Santa Cruz Department on 4 May 2008 and the autonomy referendums held in Beni Department and Pando Department on 1 June 2008. The referendum was approved with over 80% in...
, the governors of these four states initially refused to take part in the recall referendum unless the referendum complied with the new autonomy statutes, which the Supreme Electoral Court considers to be invalid; they pushed for early elections to be held instead. Nonetheless, the governors later agreed to participate. However, there were still obstructive measures from these four departments a few days before the referendum.
The recall referendum did not apply to the governor of Chuquisaca Department
Chuquisaca Department
Chuquisaca is a department of Bolivia located in the center south. It borders on the departments of Cochabamba, Tarija, Potosí, and Santa Cruz. The departmental capital is Sucre, which is also the constitutional capital of Bolivia.-Geography:...
, as Savina Cuéllar
Savina Cuéllar
Savina Cuéllar is a Bolivian politician, currently serving as governor of the Department of Chuquisaca. She is of Quechua ancestry and one of the leading oppositionists to president Evo Morales....
was just elected very recently in June 2008. Cuéllar was a member of the Bolivian Constituent Assembly
Bolivian Constituent Assembly
The Bolivian Constituent Assembly, convened on August 6, 2006 in Sucre, with the purpose of drafting a new national constitution by December 14, 2007; extended from the original deadline of August 6, 2007. The Assembly approved the new Political Constitution of the State on 9 December 2007...
for Morales' Movement for Socialism
Movement for Socialism (Bolivia)
The Movement for Socialism-Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples , alternately referred to as "Movement Toward Socialism" or "Movement to Socialism", is a left-wing, socialist, Bolivian political organization led by Evo Morales, founded in 1995...
, but ran for governorship of Chuquisaca as the candidate of the opposition Interinstitutional Committee Alliance, winning with 55% to MAS' Wálter Valda's 45%. The gubernatorial election was held after the previous governor, David Sánchez of MAS, resigned (against the wish of his party) due to violent protests.
Shortly before the election, the rules were changed, though the legality of this move remains in doubt; under the new rules, the governors will be removed from office if over 50% of voters recall them, effectively raising the threshold required.