Bolivian president vows democratic referendum on re-election amendment

  28 September 2015    Read: 703
Bolivian president vows democratic referendum on re-election amendment
Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Sunday that the referendum for the presidential re-election will be a democratic one made by the Bolivian people at the ballots.
There are opposition politicians who question the referendum, but the people`s vote will have the final say, Morales said in New York, according to local daily La Razon.

Morales confirmed that he will respect people`s decision in next year`s referendum. If the public vote in favor of the constitutional amendment then he would be willing to run for re-election again in 2019.

Morales also confirmed that he would not be making a "Yes" campaign for the referendum.

"If the people say `No` in the referendum, I will accept this and be happy with it," said Morales.

Bolivian Plurinational Legislative Assembly approved a constitutional amendment on Saturday allowing Morales and his Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera to run for the re-election in 2019.

Once the amendment is approved by a constitutional referendum scheduled on Feb. 21, 2016, Morales will be able to stand in the 2019 elections for the 2020-2025 presidency.

Morales has been the president of Bolivia since January 2006 and won two other re-elections in 2009 and 2014 with the absolute majority and two-thirds in the Legislative Assembly. He is the first indigenous president in Bolivian history.

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