Bolivian poll panel says no to constitution referendum

Brazil News.Net
Tuesday 2nd September, 2008 (IANS)

Bolivia's Left-wing nationalist President Evo Morales has been rebuffed by the central election commission, which rejected his application for a controversial constitutional referendum Dec 7.

The panel Monday said it would not organise the vote.

Election Commission president Jose Luis Exeni ruled that parliament had to approve such referendum, as well as a second referendum about provincial powers that Moralese wants.

Morales last week issued a decree that ordered the referendums to be held.

In addition, the election panel ruled that the 120-day registration deadline for another election planned for Dec 7 - the election of new prefects of La Paz and Cochabamba - had not been met.

The constitutional draft, which Morales says is to improve the lot of the country's impoverished indigenous majority in the east of the country, was approved last year in an elected assembly boycotted by the opposition.

However, five prosperous western regions, populated by descendants of immigrants, are fiercely opposed to the new constitution, and strive for far-reaching autonomy from the central government.

Earlier this month, the leftist president won a recall vote by a resounding 67 percent majority, regarded as an endorsement of his plans to go ahead with his the new constitution.

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