Bolivia court confirms third term for Morales News
Bolivia court confirms third term for Morales

[JURIST] The Bolivian top electoral court on Sunday confirmed the reelection of President Evo Morales [BBC profile; JURIST news archive], making this the politician’s third consecutive term. The president, who will serve in office until January 2020 [BBC report], received 61 percent of the vote. According to the electoral court, a recount will be conducted at select polling stations due to irregularities, but these are not expected to impact the poll result. The official results were released late Saturday, though the court has yet to release [AP report] a breakdown of seats of the country’s congress.

Morales is the first indigenous president to be elected in Bolivia and has worked towards [JURIST report] promoting justice for the indigenous Bolivian population. In May 2013 Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera signed into law [JURIST report] a constitutional amendment that allowed Morales to run for third term, though the Bolivian Constitution only allows a president to serve two terms. In June 2010 the Bolivian National Congress approved [JURIST report] legislation that would create an independent justice system for indigenous communities. In March 2009 Morales began redistributing land [JURIST report] to indigenous farmers under power given to him by the country’s new constitution. Bolivia’s new constitution [JURIST report] went into effect in February 2009 placing more power in the hands of the country’s majority. It also created seats in Congress for minority indigenous groups.