Exit Polls Show
President Morales Wins
Recall Referendum In
Bolivia
LIMA - Exit polls showed
on Sunday that Bolivian
President Evo Morales
has won the recall
referendum to remain in
office, according to
reports reaching here
from La Paz, the
administrative capital
of Bolivia.
According the exit poll
conducted by the ATB
commercial television
station and the firm
Captura Consulting,
Morales has garnered 60
percent of valid
ballots.
Analysts said the
victory would boost
Morales' clout in
pushing forward his
socialist reforms in
this Andean nation amid
strong opposition.
The 60 percent of "yes"
votes means Morales, a
former leader of
coca-growers, now has
wider support than in
December 2005, when he
was elected president of
Bolivia with 53.7
percent of the vote.
Bolivians voted on
Sunday to decide if
Morales, Vice President
Alvaro Garcia and eight
of the nine governors
would continue in
office.
The preliminary results
pointed to the defeat of
two opposition governors
in the highland province
of La Paz and in
Cochabamba.
Morales' followers
rallied at Murillo
square in La Paz to
celebrate the triumph of
the country's first
indigenous president.
Speaking at the
headquarters of the
Coca-growers
Confederation of Labor
Union in Cochabamba,
Morales said he was
"amazed" at the
"democratic
participation of the
Bolivian people."
The Electoral National
Court (CNE) will release
the official results of
the referendum in seven
or 10 days.
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