GOVERNMENT
The 1967 constitution, revised in 1994, provides for balanced executive, legislative, and judicial powers. The traditionally strong executive, however, tends to overshadow the Congress, whose role is generally limited to debating and approving legislation initiated by the executive. The judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court and departmental and lower courts, has long been plagued by corruption and inefficiency. Through revisions to the constitution in 1994, and subsequent laws, the government has initiated potentially far-reaching reforms in the judicial system.
For the first time in history, Bolivians chose their departmental prefects (similar to governors) by popular vote on December 18, 2005. Bolivia's nine departments received greater autonomy under the administrative decentralization law of 1995, although several departments--especially Santa Cruz and Tarija--are seeking increased autonomy. In a July 2006 referendum, Bolivia's four eastern departments voted in favor of increasing regional autonomy, and the other five provinces opposed the measure. The autonomy movement rallied around Sucre's August 2007 demand that the constituent assembly consider moving all branches of government to the traditional capital. Civic committees in six departments (Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni, Pando, Cochabamba, and Chuquisaca) supported hunger strikes and protests in Sucre, which led to Bolivian Government-sponsored talks between Sucre and La Paz leaders, which were inconclusive as of March 2008. The Santa Cruz government approved an autonomy statute in December 2007; the governments of the other eastern departments followed Santa Cruz's lead. Santa Cruz held a popular referendum on its autonomy statute on May 4, 2008, in which the majority of voters voted for autonomy. The Bolivian Government considered this referendum to be illegal and does not recognize its results. Some government-aligned parliamentarians have advocated popular elections for the civic committees, which they claim disproportionately represent elite and opposition interests.
Bolivian cities and towns are governed by directly elected mayors and councils. Municipal elections were held in December 2004, with councils elected to 5-year terms. The popular participation law of April 1994, which requires a 20% allocation of national revenues to municipalities for discretionary use, has enabled previously neglected communities to make improvements in their facilities and services.
Current Administration
On December 18, 2005, MAS candidate Evo Morales Ayma was elected to the presidency by 54% of the voters. During his campaign, Morales, a coca union leader of indigenous descent, vowed to nationalize hydrocarbons and alleviate poverty and discrimination towards indigenous persons. Morales was and remains highly critical of the "neo-liberal" economic policies that have been implemented in Bolivia over the past several decades. On January 22, 2006, Morales and his Vice President Alvaro García Linera were inaugurated into office.
Since then, President Morales has moved to fulfill his campaign promises, promoting policies to decriminalize coca cultivation, including raising the ceiling for licit coca cultivation from 12,000 hectares to 20,000 hectares. On May 1, 2006 the government issued a decree "nationalizing" the hydrocarbons sector and calling for the renegotiation of contracts with hydrocarbons companies. In November 2006 the government and companies signed new contracts that should result in higher revenues for the government; however, errors in the contracts may require further negotiations. These policies have pleased Morales' supporters, but have complicated Bolivia's relations with some of its neighboring countries, foreign investors, and members of the international community.
President Morales also secured passage of legislation convoking a special
election for delegates to a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution.
The MAS performed well in those elections, capturing 137 of 255 seats. The
assembly convened on August 6, 2006, and planned to complete its work by August
2007; however, the Congress extended its mandate to December 14, 2007. Since the
outset, the assembly faced political deadlock over the constituent assembly's
voting rules. Although rules were ostensibly clarified in February 2007, the
subject reemerged in August, after the legality of a vote to exclude the
location of the capital was contested by the opposition. An agreement could not
be reached, and the opposition delegates walked out of the assembly. The MAS
approved a constitution without the opposition vote in November 2007. On
December 14, 2007, Morales presented the constitutional text to the National
Congress to legislate a referendum for its approval in 2008.
Principal
Government Officials
President--Juan Evo MORALES Ayma
Vice President--Alvaro GARCIA Linera
Minister of Foreign Affairs--David CHOQUEHUANCA Céspedes
Ambassador to the United States-- Mario Gustavo GUZMÁN Saldaña
Ambassador to the Organization of American States--Reynaldo CUADROS Anaya
Ambassador to the United Nations--Hugo SILES Alvarado
Bolivia maintains an embassy in the United States at 3014 Massachusetts
Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-483-4410); consulates
in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, New Orleans, and New York;
and honorary consulates in Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston,
Mobile, Seattle, St. Louis, and San Juan.
Type:
Republic.
Independence: August 6, 1825.
Constitution: 1967; revised 1994.
Branches: Executive--president and cabinet.
Legislative--bicameral Congress. Judicial--five levels of jurisdiction,
headed by Supreme Court.
Subdivisions: Nine departments.
Major political parties: Nationalist Revolutionary
Movement (MNR), Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), Movement
Towards Socialism (MAS), New Republican Force (NFR).
Suffrage: Universal adult, obligatory.
