Protege of exleader claims victory
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Evo Morales’ party claimed victory in a presidential election that appeared to reject the rightwing policies of the interim government that took power in Bolivia after the leftist leader resigned and fled the country a year ago.
Officials released no formal, comprehensive quick count of results from Sunday’s vote, but two independent surveys of selected polling places showed Morales’ handpicked successor, Luis Arce, with a lead of roughly 20 percentage points over his closest rival — far more than needed to avoid a runoff.
Arce’s top rival, centrist former President Carlos Mesa, conceded defeat on Monday, as did interim President Jeanine Anez, a bitter foe of Morales.
“We still have no official count, but according to the data we have, Mr. Arce ( and his running mate) have won the election,” Anez said on Twitter. “I congratulate the winners and I ask them to govern with Bolivia and democracy in mind.”
Arce, meanwhile, appealed for calm in the bitterly divided nation, saying he would seek to form a government of national unity under his Movement Toward Socialism party. “I think the Bolivian people want to retake the path we were on,” he declared after the vote.
Arce, who oversaw a surge in growth and a sharp reduction in poverty as Morales’ economy minister for more than a decade, will face an uphill battle trying to reignite that growth.
Arce also faces the challenge of emerging from the long shadow of his former boss, who remains polarizing but whose support enabled the lowkey, UKeducated economist to mount a strong campaign.
Morales shrugged aside a public vote that had set term limits, and competed in the October 2019 presidential vote, which he claimed to have narrowly won outright. But a lengthy pause in reporting results fed suspicions of fraud and nationwide protests followed. When police and military leaders suggested he leave, Morales resigned and fled the country, along with several key aides. Morales called his ouster a coup.