Representatives of the Executive, the Legislative and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) of Bolivia have appeared in a joint act to stage the guarantees that they consider the electoral process of 2025 will have.
«It was agreed that the official population data (…) are sufficient for the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to begin the work of distributing seats», highlighted the president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Óscar Hassenteufel, according to the newspaper ‘Página Siete’.
The pact includes the distribution of resources and the reallocation of parliamentary seats according to the results of the census. The government has promised the official delivery of this data in September 2024.
Also present at the press conference were the Minister of Planning, Sergio Cusicanqui, and the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Jerges Mercado, who belongs to the wing of President Luis Arce.
The absence of the president of the Senate, Andrónico Rodríguez, who is considered a representative of the ruling party Movimiento Al Socialismo (MAS), which supports former president Evo Morales, was noteworthy.
Mercado pointed out that there is the will of the «three organs of the State» to guarantee the realization of the census in 2024 and the redistribution of seats». «My colleague president of the Upper House is in tune with what we have talked about. I have talked to him in the course of the day and there is his will,» Mercado emphasized.
In addition, he called on the «civic» who remain on indefinite strike in the province of Santa Cruz precisely to demand the realization of a census to lift their mobilizations because after this agreement he considers that there are no longer any reasons.
Hassenteufel also indicated that the Legislative must approve the law of seats so that the Electoral Body can then conclude the work of the delimitation of uninominal constituencies.
«The Supreme Electoral Tribunal will be able to work in order to be able to set the next electoral processes on track, more specifically the elections of 2025», said Minister Cusicanqui.
The senator of Creemos –opposition– Centa Rek said that the joint pronouncement of Cusicanqui, Hassenteufel and Mercado is a step forward. However, it is not enough because Santa Cruz is waiting for the approval of a law.
«A press conference is a compromise. The decree (4824) is not enough. A law will generate the security that the mobilized population is asking for to generate the processing of the results. There must be celerity for the approval of the law and pacification can take place», he argued.
The Lower House has called a session for Monday to deal with the census bill.
The opposition that governs Santa Cruz has promoted an indefinite strike that will last 28 days this Saturday. So far there have been four deaths, a gang rape at a blockade point, more than 180 injured and acts of discrimination and racism against indigenous Ayoreo.
