Bolivia President,Morales To Conduct Fresh Election

– The Organization of American States (OAS) call for result annulment

– Mr Morales’s announcement comes after weeks of anti-government protests over reported irregularities and fraud

– Opposition leader Carlos Mesa said Mr Morales and his vice-president should not run in the new poll nor should they preside over the electoral process

 

Following the Organization of American States (OAS) call for result annulment, Bolivia’s President Evo Morales has said that he would conduct a fresh election after international monitors questioned the validity of his victory last month.

Mr Morales’s announcement comes after weeks of anti-government protests over reported irregularities and fraud.

Opposition leader Carlos Mesa said Mr Morales and his vice-president should not run in the new poll nor should they preside over the electoral process, he said.

“If you have an iota of patriotism, you should step aside,” Mr Mesa said at a news conference.

READ ALSO: https://man-stabs-prostitute-to-death-in-lagos/

Mr Morales, who is Bolivia’s first indigenous president, told our correspondent that he had made the decision “to reduce all tension”.

In its Preliminary report on Saturday, the OAS said that it had found “clear manipulations” of Bolivia’s voting system and it could not verify the result of the 20 October race.

During the audit, it said it found physical records with alterations and forged signatures, and evidence of wide-scale data manipulation.

The OAS concluded that it was unlikely Mr Morales had won by the 10% margin required for a victory. It recommended that a new electoral commission be instituted before a fresh election could take place.