The Movement towards Socialism (MAS) party in Bolivia, has swept the elections in Bolivia, according to an exit poll, surpassing what was expected in the polls.
MAS candidate Luis Arce received 52.4% of votes, while candidate Carlos Mesa of Citizens’ Community (CC) alliance reached 31.5%, according to the poll done by consulting firm Ciesmori.
The law establishes that to win in first round, the winner must obtain 50% plus one votes, or at least 40% with a 10 percentage-point lead over the second most popular candidate.
Upon learning the unofficial election results, Arce thanked the Bolivian people for their support and trust and reiterated that he will work to regain stability and social peace.
De facto President Jeanine Añez acknowledged the defeat and congratulated the winners on Twitter.
Former President Evo Morales tweeted from Argentina where he is taking refuge after the 2019 coup d’etat, Sisters and brothers: the will of the people has prevailed. There has been a resounding victory for the MAS-IPSP. Our political movement will have the majority in both chambers. We have returned millions, now we will return dignity and freedom to the people.
Aware that it would be a thorny road for his homeland to rise again after the coup d’état, two massacres and the administration of a de facto government that in addition to persecutions, it cracked the economy and health care in just 11 month, Evo knows that a period of reconstruction starts now.
‘Jallalla Bolivia, Jallalla democracy,’ he said recently in this political refuge where he has lived since December 2019, a few days after the electoral victory of Alberto Fernandez, who allowed him to spend time in Buenos Aires after the coup d’état and amid a difficult departure, via Mexico, to preserve his life.
This Quechua-Aymara word unites the concepts of hope, festivity and beatitude, concepts that Morales has fought for since he arrived in this country 11 months ago, after a tough journey, so that his nation could recover democracy after the coup d’état that overthrew him.
Bolivia’s first indigenous president, accused by the OAS of fraud in the 2019 elections that led to the coup, and by the de facto government of multiple crimes, was even banned from being a candidate to the Senate on behalf of Cochabamba.
But after the victory of the MAS, his hope for being in his homeland is about to come true, although he also knows that the process led by Luis Arce has to be protected from all fronts. Arce was in charge of the economic cabinet during the Evo Morales Government, one of the pillars that was most developed during his 14 years in the presidency.
In the future, all Bolivians must prioritize the consolidation of the country’s democracy, peace and economic reconstruction, Morales said on Sunday, at one of two press conferences he gave. He also called to put differences aside to reach a great national agreement.
With Lucho, as he calls Arce affectionately, and former Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca (in his role of vice president), together we will build a country that will put resentments aside and will never resort to revenge, underlined the former president.
(Compiled by us from newsreports available on the internet.)
