| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional / Plurinational Legislative Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Cámara de Senadores / Chamber of Senators |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Cámara de Diputados / Chamber of Deputies
|
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
6 December 2009 |
| Purpose of elections |
Early elections were held for all elective seats in the Senate following the adoption of a new Constitution in January 2009. The previous elections had been held in December 2005. |
The 2009 elections were the first to be held under the new Constitution adopted in January 2009. The previous National Congress was replaced by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, comprising a 130-member Chamber of Deputies and a 36-member Senate (up from 27). A referendum was held at the same time (see note).
In the previous elections, which were held in December 2005, the Movement for Socialism (MAS) led by Mr. Evo Morales took 72 of the 130 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 13 of the 27 seats in the Senate. The Social and Democratic Power (PODEMOS) party took 43 seats in the Chamber and 12 in the Senate. The remaining seats went to the National Unity Front (UNF) and the National Revolutionary Movement (MNR). In the presidential elections, Mr. Morales (MAS) defeated PODEMOS candidate Jorge Quiroga, becoming the country's first indigenous president. At his swearing-in in January 2006, he pledged to "re-found Bolivia" by enacting a new constitution and retaking control of the country's natural resources.
In July 2006, the MAS won the elections to the Constituent Assembly that was established to re-write the Constitution within a year. However, the drafting process was delayed by protests. Opposition parties successfully blocked an article allowing the president to be indefinitely re-elected, arguing that it would hand a life-time presidency to Mr. Morales. The opposition further argued that the some articles of the draft constitution favoured only the country's indigenous majority. These articles were nevertheless maintained in the final draft. In November 2008, the draft constitution was finally approved by the MAS and its allies. Street protests opposing the draft turned violent, killing three people.
On 25 January 2009, Bolivians voted in a referendum on the new Constitution, which they approved by 61 per cent of the votes. The Constitution grants greater autonomy to Bolivia's nine departments and to indigenous communities, while reinforcing State control over key economic sectors. It was opposed by many Bolivians of European or mixed-race descent. On 7 February, President Morales enacted the Constitution.
The new Constitution required early presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on 6 December 2009. Mr. Morales was allowed to run since the presidential term served under the previous Constitution did not count.
In the 2009 elections, President Morales' MAS was challenged by the Plan for Progress party (PP) of former state governor and former army captain Manfred Reyes Villa and the UNF led by Mr. Samuel Doria Medina. PODEMOS leader Jorge Quiroga announced that he would not run for the presidency. The MAS needed a two-thirds majority in the new legislature to be able to revise the Constitution so as to allow President Morales to seek another term in office.
President Morales urged voters to support the MAS so that he could pursue his reforms. He campaigned on the government's record, citing subsidies for schoolchildren and the elderly and an allowance for new mothers, and pledged to continue them in his new term. A quarter of Bolivia's 10 million inhabitants benefited from the subsidies in 2009.
Despite the global economic crisis, higher prices for natural gas and minerals helped the country sustain its economic growth in 2009. Mr. Morales - who had nationalized the gas, oil, mining and telecommunication sectors - pledged to continue the reforms by nationalizing electricity firms. He also promised to develop the iron and lithium industries to help his country export value-added products instead of raw materials. He called on voters to support "change" and urged them to reject "neo-liberalism".
PP leader Reyes pledged a one time payment of US$ 1,000 to one million families and said he would maintain the subsidies introduced by Mr. Morales' administration. He also promised to reduce unemployment and to attract more foreign companies to Bolivia by giving investors more legal security. The former army captain also vowed to tackle crime by enhancing the army's role in domestic security. He argued that Mr. Morales' re election could lead to a "totalitarian regime" under which the legislature would be reduced to "a decoration". Mr. Reyes faced a threat of jail on corruption charges made in the run up to the elections. In January 2010, the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Mr. Reyes who reportedly fled to the United States.
The UNF promised to develop an organic food industry to diversify the country's economy and to promote tourism. UNF leader Doria, a wealthy businessman, pledged to invest US$ 175 million over five years to modernize the education system and to open nine universities. He vowed to ease the divisions between the indigenous community in the west and the non-indigenous community in the east.
Despite several attempts to form a coalition, opposition parties failed to unite, for the further benefit of the MAS.
In addition to the 5 million registered voters in the country, Bolivians in Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the United States were allowed to vote for the first time.
The MAS secured a majority in both chambers. It won 88 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 26 seats in the Senate. The PP followed with 37 and 10 seats respectively. The UNF took three seats in the Chamber of Deputies while the remainder went to small parties.
In the presidential elections, Mr. Morales was re-elected with over 60 per cent of the votes.
On 20 January 2010, the newly elected National Congress was convened. The Chamber of Deputies elected Mr. Héctor Arce (MAS) as its new Speaker while the Senate elected Ms. Ana María Romero (MAS) as its new President.
Note on the referendum:
Pursuant to the 2009 Constitution, voters in five new regions of the country - La Paz, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Oruro and Potosí - were asked to approve or reject their region's autonomy. Twelve municipalities voted on whether to adopt traditional indigenous rules. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 6 December 2009 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Movement for Socialism (MAS) |
26
|
|
|
|
|
| Plan for Progress (PP) |
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
21
15
41.67%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
| Source: IDEA Internacional, Bolivia (08.02.2010, 24.02.2010) |
|
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
