NewsClick

NewsClick
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Covid-19
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • International
  • Sports
  • Articles
  • Videos
search
menu

SUBSCRIBE AND SUPPORT

image/svg+xml
  • All Articles
  • Newsclick Articles
  • All Videos
  • Newsclick Videos
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • Sports
  • International
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Palestine
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • US
  • West Asia
About us
Grievance Redressal Mechanism
Newsletter
Facebook - Newsclick Twitter - Newsclick Instagram - Newsclick Youtube - Newsclick RSS - Newsclick
close menu
×
You deserve independent, critical media. Subscribe and Support
Protests & Movements
Politics
International
Latin America

Bolivians Reject Postponement of Elections with Massive Mobilisations

Nationwide mobilisations were organized by Bolivian social movements and trade unions in rejection of the suspension of general elections in the country.
Peoples Dispatch
29 Jul 2020
Bolivians Reject Postponement of Elections with Massive Mobilisations

Thousands of Bolivians mobilised in the Cochabamba city on July 28, demanding general elections in response to the TSE's decision to postpone them. Photo: Kawsachun News

Organisations and trade unions from diverse sectors in Bolivia joined the call to mobilised on July 28, against the postponement of the general elections in Bolivia. The call for nationwide mobilisations was given by the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), Bolivia’s trade union center, and the Pact of Unity, a national alliance of grassroots organisations in Bolivia.

On July 23, the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), which is under the direct control of the coup-installed government, postponed the elections scheduled for September 6 to October 18, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. The following day, the COB and the Pact of Unity released a video announcing their rejection of the coup regime’s decision to further suspend the elections and called on citizens and workers to mobilise to demand the restoration of democracy and compliance with the decision to hold elections on September 6.

Bolivia's labor union federation (COB), representing all workers and campesinos, is organizing a mass march for democracy in La Paz, in rejection of the coup regime's repeated suspension of free elections. Further mobilizations to be announced. pic.twitter.com/qGXfhqFFTG

— Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) July 24, 2020

Indigenous, peasant, rural and women organisations have organized massive demonstrations in the capital city La Paz as well as in El Alto, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, among others cities, under the banner of “For Democracy, Health and Life”. The organisations have also urged to abide by public health protocol and wear face masks, gloves and carry hand sanitizer.

11am: Thousands from the social movements of Bolivia's Trópico de Cochabamba mobilize to demand general elections in response to the TSE announcement to delay the vote for the third time. These images are from a 24-minute stream on Radio TV Soberania. pic.twitter.com/c3RbjGQZX4

— Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) July 28, 2020

The Coordinator of the Six Federations of the Tropic of Cochabamba and the Special Federation of Intercultural Communities and Agricultural Producers of San Julian also rejected the suspension of elections and demanded compliance with the electoral schedule. They warned that if the decision to delay elections is not reversed, they will carry out indefinite mobilisations across the country.

The United Federation of Rural Workers announced that they will embark on a general strike and maintain roadblocks in all 20 provinces of the La Paz department for an indefinite period of time.

The organisations criticised the TSE for its complicity in the attempts by the country’s right-wing leaders to delay the democratic elections. They denounced that the TSE does not have the authority to repeal Law 1304, which set the date of the elections for September 6. They also denounced that the postponement is a way to extend the de-facto president Jeanine Áñez’s time in office. The social and union leaders also condemned the political persecution against MAS members.

Former president Evo Morales, his party, the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), and the MAS presidential candidate, Luis Arce, among other leaders, denounced the suspension of elections as a coup against democracy and reminded that any change in the date must be approved by the country’s parliament.

“The announcement of the Supreme Electoral Court is an abuse and an arbitrariness. It violates laws 1266, 1297 and 1304 that establish that the TSE may set the election date no later than September 6, 2020. This unilateral and arbitrary decision, surpassing the Plurinational Legislative Assembly exposes the members to eventual responsibility,” said the MAS in a statement.

Former president Morales in a tweet on July 27 said that “an administrative resolution of the Supreme Electoral Court cannot be above the law or above the Political Constitution of the State, especially if it talks about postponing general elections, suspended twice with the approval of the Legislative Assembly.”

In another tweet, Morales denounced that “the Supreme Electoral Court and the de-facto government agree in trying to undermine the value of the Legislative Assembly. The resolution to postpone the elections is intended to close the Assembly, a State entity born of the people’s vote. No to the coup.”

Earlier last week, on July 24, Morales also alerted that the right-wing political parties were trying to seize power in municipality and departmental governments. “The right-wing involved in the coup aims to extend itself, outlaw MAS, and assault the state. They are now planning coups in departmental and municipal governments, among them the department of Pando,” tweeted Morales.

Bolivia’s de-facto government led by far-right Jeanine Áñez, which seized power following the civic-military coup against Morales in November 2019, has postponed the general elections three times since March this year. Social movements have condemned Áñez for holding on to power in pursuit of her imperialist and neoliberal policies.

Courtesy: Peoples Dispatch,
Original published date:
28 Jul 2020
Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
Arturo Murillo
Bolivian Elections 2019
Bolivians against the coup
David Choquehuanca
Evo Morales
general elections in Bolivia
Jeanine Añez
Luis Arce
Movement Towards Socialism
MAS
Salvador Romero
Supreme Electoral Court
Related Stories
The VI Summit of the Heads of State of CELAC. Photo: CELAC

Latin American and Caribbean Leaders Approve Historic Agreement at CELAC Summit

Cuba

Cuba Calls for Defense of the Revolution and an End to the Blockade

Indigenous woman marches against the coup in Bolivia. Photo: Redfish

Despite U.S. Dirty Tricks, Bolivia Is Finding a Way to Stay Independent

Bolivian

Bolivian Judge Orders 4 Months of Preventive Detention for Coup Leader Jeanine Áñez

Jeanine Áñez

Bolivian Coup Leader Jeanine Áñez Arrested

Bolivian president Luis Arce and former president Evo Morales inaugurated the first ‘Meeting of Peoples and Organizations of Abya Yaya towards the construction of a Plurinational America’ at the headquarters of UNASUR in the town of San Benito, in the Cochabamba department, Bolivia, on December 18. Photo: Evo Morales/Twitter

First Meeting of Peoples and Organizations of Abya Yala Concludes in Bolivia

evo

Over a Million Welcome Evo Morales in Chimoré

Leonardo Loza, a trade union leader from the Trópico of Cochabamba and incoming senator.

After “11 Months of Pain,” Bolivia Returns to Democracy

MAS Spokesperson Sebastián Michel denounced that there was an explosion at the campaign headquarters on Thursday November 5. Photo: MAS

MAS Denounces Explosion at Campaign Headquarters in La Paz

Evo Morales

Evo Morales Will Return to Bolivia on November 9

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
You deserve independent, critical media. We want readers like you. Support independent, critical media. Subscribe to Newsclick.

Subscribe and Support


Latest

  • dyfi

    DYFI Calls for a Cohesive Fight to Uphold Secularism in India

  • Ghulam Mohammad Jaula, Among Tallest Farmer Leaders in West UP, Passes Away

    Ghulam Mohammad Jaula, Among Tallest Farmer Leaders in West UP, Passes Away

  • National Alliance of Journalists

    Indian Journalists Write to Israeli PM, Condemn ‘Murder’ of Al Jazeera Reporter

  • Mundka Fire: Should we Expect Justice for Those who Lost Their Loved Ones?

    Mundka Fire: Should We Expect Justice for Those who Lost Their Loved Ones?

  • Load More
Newsletter
About us
Grievance Redressal Mechanism