Surveys close in Bolivia as 20 years of left rule should end | Elections news

The polls have closed in the presidential and general elections of Bolivia, the governing socialists who should lose power after almost 20 years due to a deep economic crisis and a division within the left coalition.

Voting stations closed at 4 p.m. (8:00 p.m. GMT) on Sunday, with the first results expected after 9 p.m. (01:00 GMT on Monday).

The election is the first time in almost two decades that the survey indicates that the outgoing movement of Bolivia for Socialism (MAS) could face defeat. According to the last Ipsos survey carried out in August.

Eight presidential candidates are in the running – from the extreme right to the political left. But two candidates seem to have a comfortable advance: Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, who was president and acting vice-president under the former military sovereign Hugo Banzer, and Samuel Doria Medina, a wealthy businessman and former Minister of Planning.

Medina, 66, and Quiroga, 65, are in the shoulder to shoulder, according to the survey investigation.

Former leftist president, Evo Morales, was forbidden to run, and the outgoing socialist president Luis Arce, who had fallen with Morales, opted for the race.

The electoral process “went very well so far, with only a few minor incidents,” said the editor in Latin America of Al Jazeera, Lucia Newman, postponing Santa Cruz.

General fears surrounding this election concern the possible impact of the call of morals to its supporters, who represent approximately 20 to 30% of the electorate, said Newman. “They were asked to vote Nile or Null (in this election), and if that happens, it could certainly disturb the result because there are so many candidates and no one should have enough” to do a second round, “she said.

Left

Eduardo del Castillo, who is supported by outgoing president Arce, is the official candidate of the MAS party. Andronico Rodriguez, who moved away from the Mas party, presents himself as independent.

Morales, the undisputed left chief of Bolivia in the past 15 years, is locked in his tropical bastion, where he still runs Coca Growers Union. He asked his disciples to vote invalid.

“The brothers, we are on the right track. Absenteeism, virgin voting bulletins, indecisive voters, all this,” said Morales on Radio Kawsachun Coca, his media in the Bolivian jungle of Chapare, where he has been locked up for months among the fiercely faithful work unions.

If Morales leaves his tropical bastion, he risks an arrest for accusations related to statutory rape. He denies allegations.

The official results are due within seven days. Voters also elect the 26 senators and 130 deputies, and officials will assume the office on November 8.

An election of runoff will take place on October 19 if no candidate wins a pure and simple majority.

“ WAY CRISIS OF A GENERATION ”

The Andean country is struggling to struggle with its worst crisis in a generation, marked by an annual inflation of almost 25% and critical dollar and fuel shortages.

The two frontrunners have promised significant changes to the economic model with a large state of Bolivia if they are elected.

Doria Medina, former Millionaire Minister of Planning, made a fortune in cement before building the largest skyscraper in Bolivia and acquiring the local burger king.

Given as a centrist, he promised to stop inflation and bring back fuel and dollars within 100 days, without reducing poverty control programs.

“We are going to change everything, absolutely everything after 20 lost years,” said Quiroga to speak difficult, which formed as an engineer in the United States, during its closing rally at PAZ on Wednesday.

Bolivia has experienced more than a decade of strong growth and indigenous uprising under morals, which nationalized the gas sector and plowed the product of social programs which halved extreme poverty during its passage between 2006 and 2019.

But the under-infreshing in exploration caused the implementation of gas income, going from a peak of $ 6.1 billion in 2013 to $ 1.6 billion last year.

With the other major resources in the country, lithium, still underground, the government has almost missed the currencies necessary to import fuel, wheat and other foodstuffs.

The Bolivians have repeatedly left the streets to protest against rocket prices and time expectations for fuel, bread and other bases.