Elections 2020: The Elections Can Go On (Reluctantly)

Bolivia Today ©

After much public pressure, caretaker Bolivian President Anez signed on Sunday 21 law 1304 allowing the electoral process, halted in April due to the corona virus, to continue. The Bolivian general elections that were supposed to take place in may this year to elect a new president and a new congress did not happen. The government and congress (i.e. the opposition, because the Senate is still controlled by the MAS) decided in April to postpone the elections. Back then, they passed law 1297 of postponement of the 2020 general elections.

Law 1297, aside from mandating the process to be rescheduled (within 90 days), also said in its Article 2 of law 1297 the following about a future date for the elections:

"...conforme a criterios técnicos del Tribunal Supremo Electoral, y científicos provenientes de los organismos especializados, que guiarán las medidas que se adopten para garantizar que los derechos políticos sean ejercidos en las mejores condiciones que las circunstancias permitan, y que no impliquen la propagación del coronavirus (COVID-19) y los consiguientes riesgos para la vida y la salud de las y los bolivianos en el territorio nacional y en el extranjero."

Here is the translation:

"...in accordance with technical criteria set by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and scientific studies produced by specialized agencies, which will guide procedures adopted to guarantee that political rights are exercised in the best conditions that the current situation allows, and that they do not imply the spread of the coronavirus ( COVID-19) and the consequent risks for the life and health of Bolivians in the national territory and abroad."

Now, Anez expressed her reluctance to sign law 1304 seeking to restart the process. She was severely criticized because of that. Candidate and the opposition accused her of not wanting to leave power and to have broken the oath she took when she became president.

Visibly touched by the critic, as she signed the law she placed all the blame for the possible health risks that would arise on the other candidates (namely Catacora from MAS and Mesa from Ciudadanos) who pressed for her, publicly and personally, to sign the law. As you can see on the video above, she "made it clear" she was pressured to sign the law.

Now, granted she might be right on her reservation to hold the general elections while the pandemic is going on, however, one thing she forgot to mention is that she too is candidate and as such, she would also share on all the blame? or not? It seems to me, the blame she distributes is done so from a comfortable position.

However, reluctance or not, the law is signed, the leading candidates are happy and the Senate is also happy. It remain to be seen, if this decision will have consequences in terms of more infections or it will once again be delayed because the infection rate in the country has risen alarmingly already.

For now, the head of the electoral court has expressed a tentative date for the elections, September 6. It all indicates that will be the date Bolivians will have to head to the ballot boxes to elect a new president.

Sources:

https://www1.abi.bo/abi_/?i=451062

https://www1.abi.bo/abi_/?i=451034

https://erbol.com.bo/el-%C3%A1nfora-1/mas-teme-ser-proscrito-y-exige-elecciones-el-6-de-septiembre

https://ibce.org.bo/principales-noticias-bolivia/noticias-nacionales-detalle.php?id=112267&idPeriodico=1&fecha=2020-06-24