MAS lost in main cities of Bolivia in local elections

The ruling Bolivian Movement for Socialism (MAS) suffered defeats in local elections on Sunday in major cities across the country, according to exit polls from two private television channels.

According to unofficial data from Unitel and Red Uno chains, the MAS, President Luis Arce and his mentor Evo Morales (2006-2019), lost in the towns of La Paz, its neighbor El Alto, Cochabamba (center) and Santa Cruz (east), the most sought-after political places in the country.

In La Paz, Iván Arias, minister of former president Jeanine Áñez (2019-2020), won; to El Alto Eva Copa, former president of the Senate and now dissident of the MAS; in Cochabamba, former army captain Manfred Reyes Villa; and in Santa Cruz, opponents Gary Áñez and Jhonny Fernández compete for first place.

Eva Copa is the big surprise of these elections, who, not having the support of the ruling party and being expelled, presented her candidacy for the Jallalla alliance and throughout the campaign was the favorite to be the mayor from the second most populous city in Bolivia. and long considered a political stronghold of MAS.

The election of city mayors is defined in the first round by a simple majority of votes.

In cities with less political clout, the ruling party only obtained Sucre (southeast), capital of the department of Chuquisaca, and the result was uncertain in four others, because of the small margin of difference between the first and the second.

Unitel clarified that their confidence level was 95%.

Concerning the election of the governors of the departments, the MAS only insured Cochabamba and lost Santa Cruwith.

The output results of the Unitel channel describe an election in the rest of the departments: La Paz, Oruro (west), Potosí (southwest), Tarija (south), Chuquisaca (south-east), Beni (north-east) and Pando (north).

Evo Morales said that, however, his own party’s accounts are very different and those run by the MAS “are a great joy”.

“Only the law beat us in Santa Cruz“Said the former president at a press conference and assured that his party was securing victory in five governorates, including La Paz, Oruro, Potosí and Pando.

The election of governors, unlike that of mayors, is defined in the first round if the person who reaches the first place exceeds 50% plus 1 of the votes or passes 40 points and has an advantage of 10 over the second.

Otherwise, a second round is being prepared on April 11.

Sociologist and university professor María Teresa Zegada said that “there are consolidated town halls, there is a long distance in the vote, as are the case of Arias [en La Paz] and Reyes Villa [en Cochabamba]“.

The official results of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) will be known within 8 to 10 days.

Some 7.1 million Bolivians were called to vote on a compulsory basis by nine governors and 336 mayors and their respective members of the regional assembly and municipal councilors.

The vote took place, in general, quietly, although in the small town of Colpa Belgium, in the department of Santa Cruz, with about 6,300 inhabitants, the inhabitants burned the ballots.

The protest was due to the illegal transfer of voters from other cities to increase a candidate’s vote count, although it was not clear which one.

The day was also marked by a new shock between the MAS and the OAS.

President Arce refused to attend an official act of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) to which he was invited.

“As long as the OAS is there, we will not attend any invitation from the electorate.»Said the leader. “You guys [los periodistas] they know the harmful role of the OAS in the 2019 elections, ”he added.

In this election, as in previous elections, the OAS performs an observation task.

Asked about Arce’s statement, Salvador Romero, president of the TSE, said “he does not comment on statements by political leaders or authorities”.

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