OAS Observer Mission
Certifies Electoral
Census In Bolivia
LIMA - The observer
mission of the
Organization of American
States (OAS) has
certificated the
electoral census for
Bolivia's revocative
referendum on Aug. 10,
according to news
reaching here from La
Paz, administrative
capital of Bolivia.
Chief of the OAS mission
Guatemalan Eduardo Stein
Tuesday told the press
that during the
mission's stay, which
started over 15 days
ago, "we have not been
able to prove any index
of abnormality or that
the census has signs of
alternation."
The OAS mission started
its work in Bolivia from
July 16, ahead of the
referendum, whose
outcome will define
whether the Bolivian
president, vice
president and eight
governors are ratified
in their positions or
not.
Stein said that jointly
with the Electoral
Departmental Courts (CDE),
they have debugged a
total of 40,000 people
due to different
reasons, but it does not
affect the process in
any way.
The mission has verified
the functioning of the
census, the electoral
lists, the control, the
process of data
transmission, the
information, publicity,
expenditures and the
referendum itself.
Stein said the mission
will follow strictly
each move of the
referendum and a written
record will be kept.
"What we have seen in
the intense discussion
is that the people want
to express themselves in
the vote and to support
the candidates of their
preference," Stein said.
Some political parties,
with some insistence,
have requested the OAS
to give declarations on
jurisdictional issues
that do not correspond
to it, Stein said.
There are some signs of
polarization which could
make the referendum an
obstacle to governing
rather than one that
could politically
support the Bolivian
people, Stein said.
However, he said that
there were also good
conditions to give
legitimacy to the voting
process during the
referendum and to ensure
that people can be calm.
On Sunday the mission
will publish a
communique on the
opening of the vote and
a total of about 100 OAS
observers will be
observing in the nine
provinces of Bolivia,
Stein said.
One day after the
referendum, the mission
will give the final
report to the Bolivians,
Stein said.
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