Bolivia electoral court blocks constitution vote (updated)

UPDATES: Government believes that Electoral Court’s position is not legal. La Paz, Sep, 2, (ABI).- Morales’ Administration assures that position adopted by main electoral organization in Bolivia presented by mean of letters does not have a legal support. Therefore, Government ratified referendum carrying out for new Constitution and for electing local authorities for this December 7th as the decree 29691 establishes. After Jose Luis Exeni, Bolivian Electoral Court’s chairman, sent three letters to temporary President Alvaro Garcia Linera, where Exeni states that referendums carrying out is not possible due to some legal observations. The Minister of Legal Defense, Hector Arce cleared up that those letters do not have legal support.   Moreover, Hector Arce, explained that these letters could not stop the referendum development to ratify or reject new Constitution, to define the hectare numbers and to elect local authorities. So their carrying out was confirmed for this December 7th .Since this electoral process called by decree has the legal support enough.  For Vice-minister of Coordination with social sectors and civil society, Sacha Llorenti pointed out that there was no any legal observation for the decree, which calls for referendums, that is why this event is guaranteed. Moreover, he said that this referendum was a reply of people’s demands to have a new Constitution; therefore the decree had the entire legal base to respective carrying out.  Lcr/Pta              ABI. Translation: G. Martin Escobar M.

 2008-09-02 06:44:03 -  LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) - Bolivia's National Electoral Court has suspended a referendum on a new constitution, delivering a blow to President Evo Morales' plans to empower the long-marginalized indigenous majority. The Electoral Court on Monday ruled only lawmakers have the authority to set a date for the referendum, suspending the president's decree for a Dec. 7 vote.
The decision apparently stalls the referendum indefinitely, since the Senate is controlled by an opposition bitterly against the draft document, which would also allow presidential re-election. «It is in the hands of Congress» to pass a bill calling for the vote, court President Jose Luis Exeni told reporters. «It will be that body that calls the referendum.  There was no immediate reaction from the administration of Morales, who was traveling in Iran with his spokesman.  Morales sought the vote after winning a 67 percent vote of confidence in an August recall election.  But his attempts to change the constitution, redirect natural gas revenues to the poor and redistribute fallow land have met with staunch opposition from the country's energy-rich eastern provinces, whose governors also survived the recall. The draft charter was approved in December by a special Constituent Assembly, but only after opposition delegates walked out of the debate. The document must be approved by Bolivian voters before it can take effect.