by Marcus Papadopoulos
Bolivian President Evo Morales secured a resounding victory in last week’s general election, paving the way for the leftist leader to implement a new constitution for the country.
By the time Tribune went to press, preliminary results showed that Mr Morales had won 61 per cent of the vote. His right-wing opponents, Manfred Reyes Villa and Samuel Doria Medina, only managed to get 27 per cent and 6 per cent of the vote respectively.
Parliamentary elections took place simultaneously with those for the presidency. According to exit polls, the Bolivian leader’s party, the Movement to Socialism, has won 24 seats in the 36-seat parliament.
Both sets of elections were held to have been “free and fair” by the Organisation of American States and the European Union.
In his first term in office, President Morales pursued popular policies such as nationalisation and increasing social spending in the country.
