Squal election between the opposition candidates PAZ and Quiroga news

Click to open the share function.




Split

  • According to preliminary results, a runoff election will decide on the future government in Bolivia.
  • In the first round, none of the applicants achieved the required majority, as the electoral authority announced after counting around 90 percent of the vote.
  • But it is already clear that after almost two decades of left -wing governments, a political change of direction in the South American country is imminent.

On October 19, the two candidates compete against each other, who received the most votes in the first round. These are Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira by the Christian Democratic Partido Demócrata Cristiano party, which is attributed to the political center, and ex-President Jorge Quiroga from the right-wing party Libertad Y Democracia (freedom and democracy).

Paz ‘Triumph comes as a surprise: In polls he was only ten percent far behind Quiroga. Paz can count on important support for the runoff election: third-placed businessman Samuel Doria Medina from the center-right coalition Alianza Unidad standed behind him. Medina was still in front of Paz in surveys.

The most important political actors in the elections in Bolivia

Politics had long been shaped by the power struggle between ex-President Evo Morales and the outgoing head of state Luis Arce of the left-wing party Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS). The choice marks a cut in the political structure: the outgoing President Arce no longer competed due to falling popularity, and Morales was no longer allowed to compete because of the constitutional term of office. Morales are also exposed to an arrest warrant for sexual abuse of a minor.

Left candidate thrown at stones

In the side of the coordination, incidents occurred. The left-wing candidate Andrónico Rodríguez was attacked with stones after his vote by alleged supporters of ex-President Morales. A few hours earlier, the detonation of an explosive device had been reported in the same place. At first there was no information about injuries. In addition to the presidential election, a new parliament was also determined.

Deep economic crisis

The South American country with around twelve million inhabitants is in a serious economic crisis. Fuel and foreign exchange deficiency, inflation and poverty shape everyday life. Bolivia also plays an important role for international politics because of its great lithium deposits. German companies hope for better investment conditions under a new government.

Click to open the share function.




Split

Comments (0)
Add Comment