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Bolivia votes on constitutional referendum to expand power of indigenous majority

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Bolivians began voting Sunday morning on a proposed constitution supported by President Evo Morales. The proposed changes would give the state control over the country's natural gas deposits, would require members of the country's supreme court to be elected by national vote and would give Morales himself the option of remaining in power until 2014. The referendum is widely expected to succeed with near-unanimous support from the country's indigenous majority, which stands to gain greater representation in the Bolivian National Congress than it enjoys under the current constitution. Christian groups have opposed the referendum, which elevates Andean deity Pachamama to the same level of Christianity's God and does not explicitly ban gay marriage or abortion. In addition to the constitutional referendum, Bolivian voters also were asked to approve a cap on private land holdings. In October 2008, the Bolivian National Congress ratified the proposed reforms after Morales agreed not to run for re-election in 2014, setting up the national referendum. In August 2008, Morales won a referendum to continue his presidency, which he personally proposed in a bid to legitimize his campaign for the constitutional changes.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 25, 2009 (boomark / email).