Bolivian Judge halts Recall Referendum

Caracas, Venezuela, 23July 2008. On Tuesday 22 July 2008, a provisional Constitutional Law magistrate, Silvia Salame, ordered the suspension of the recall referendum due on 10 August 2008. Salame ruled the suspension to safeguard jurisprudence and allow her to decide on a petition made by opposition MP Arturo Murillo over the recall referendum.

Today, the government denounced the decision of Judge Salame as illegal. It stated she had taken a decision on her own without consulting two more fellow magistrates of the Constitutional Tribunal. Furthermore, the Evo Morales government claimed her argument for halting the referendum had no legal grounds. FInally, it was announced that the Electoral Body continued to organize the Recall Referendum on 10 August 2008.    

The Recall Referendum was promoted by the opposition to President Evo Morales but has turned into a improbable win situation for the separatist prefects.

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Sources: ABI, Telesur, BBC mundo,

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