Chamber:
	Cámara de Senadores
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	6 June 1993
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members’ term of office. Congressional elections had previously been held in May 1989.
Background and outcome of elections:
	The 1993 congressional elections were held simultaneously with those for President and Vice-president of the Republic. Major contenders in the presidential poll were former President (from 1971 to 1978) Hugo Banzer Suarez of the right-wing Nationalist Democratic Action (ADN) and Mr. Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada of the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR). Outgoing President Jaime Paz Zamora was not eligible for re-election. Economic issues featured prominently during the campaign, with the main candidates similarly promising to promote free-market policies and partial privatisation of state enterprises, and to continue austerity programmes; they moreover pledged to fight corruption. Electoral alliances were formed by various political parties. The ADN and the Leftist Revolutionary Movement (MIR) formed the Patriotic Accord (AP), while a group of eight left-wing parties came together to form the United Left. Like the campaign, polling was calm although there were reported irregularities. These were attributed to poor organization rather than a deliberate attempt to rig the elections. In this connection, polling was postponed until 13 June in Santa Cruz and other constituencies as a result of unavailability of voting material. In the congressional elections, no single party or group of parties obtained an overall majority. The MNR emerged on top in both Houses, improving its performance in the previous poll. On the other hand, the constituent members of the AP did not perform as well as in 1989, halving their members. The Civic Solidarity Union (UCS) made its entry into Parliament while the remaining seats were filled by five other political groups. In order to have a working parliamentary majority, the MNR entered into an alliance with the UCS and the Free Bolivia Movement (MBL). As for the presidential elections, none of the candidates obtained the required absolute majority. In accordance with the Constitution, the newly-elected Congress met on 6 August and elected Mr. Sanchez de Lozada as Head of State (he had polled 33.8% of the votes as against 20% for his closest rival Mr. Banzer; the latter had pulled out of the race on 9 June). Also on 6 August, a 10-member Cabinet (eight MNR, one UCS and one MBL) was named.

STATISTICS

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total
Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR)	17
Patriotic Accord (AP)	8
Civic Solidarity Union (UCS)	1
Conscience of the Fatherland (CONDEPA)	1

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	26
Women:	1