Bolivia agrees on Sunday at a new constitution - Morales wants two terms in a row
Bolivian President Evo Morales waves during a ceremony miners, the mining equipment handing it over symbolically to the mining company in La Paz. takes Empresa Petrolera Chaco SA, the government completely, the decision was made two days before the election.
La Paz - After years of wrangling over a new constitution in Bolivia am (tomorrow) Sunday, a majority of the plans of leftist President Evo Morales expected. The reform would give the first Indians at the head of the Andean nation the chance to win a second term until 2014.
Morales, a member of the Aymara indigenous people of the states in the vote the culmination of a centuries-long struggle, whose roots date back to the days of Spanish Conquest: "On 25 January, we propose a new chapter. We will break the chains of discrimination, division, racism, subjugation, colonialism and humiliation, "he said on Thursday, the third anniversary of his inauguration.
The new constitution was provisions that will give the Indian majority more rights. 36 of its "nation" and obtain guarantees for self-determination. For smaller nations in addition to the Aymara and Quechua seats in parliament are reserved. Even the state recognizes the traditional Indian "community justice" on. The judges of the Supreme Court will in future be elected rather than appointed by the President.
Land ownership should be limited depending on the decision in the referendum to 5,000 or 10,000 hectares. The state may seize land that does not meet any "social function".
Particularly in the focus of the new constitution but the change is related to the terms of office of the president. Current maximum of two terms are possible, although not allowed to directly follow each other. This restriction will be abolished so that the president complete two terms of five years in a row. Morales had originally sought two more for a total of three terms. The Parliament continued the referendum but in only after Morales had been abandoned in October on that claim.
With Chávez in opposition front against the U.S.
Critics argue that the strengthening of Indian rights, the efforts to unite the ethnically torn country affects. The country will by the new constitution polarized than ever, "said the former president Carlos Mesa, considered as a possible challenger to the incumbent. And of course a need for mining equipment in the country.
The opposition movement in the eastern lowlands of the draft constitution is contrary to the extent that the local agriculture and used mining equipment should be excluded from the ceiling on land ownership. Also there are the member states are granted a limited autonomy.
Morales is a close ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. He also shares his opposition to the foreign and economic policy of the United States. As Morales in his speech on Thursday reiterated the allegation that U.S. diplomats and narcotics officers had plotted a conspiracy against his government, the ambassador left the hall in protest. On 1 Last November, Bolivia declared ended cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for.
With its recent reform policies Morales but certainly the majority of the population behind him. In a referendum on his administration Morales received on 10 Last August, a support of 67 percent.
The constitutional debate sparked violent riots in 2007 in which three students were killed. In September last year, 13 people, mostly supporters of Morales were killed, as government opponents occupied government buildings to stop the constitutional referendum.
In the fact that the vote now but still comes to see some progress towards greater commonality. "This country now has a lifetime of 184 years behind them," said the opposition belonging to Senator Carlos Borth, who has called for the adoption of the new Constitution. While this may please neither the Indians nor leaders of the opposition movement in the lowlands around Santa Cruz, Borth said, but "we're a nation."
