Senator declares herself president
LAPAZ:A senator proclaimed herself Bolivia’s interim president on Tuesday in an effort to fill the power vacuum left by the abrupt resignation of Evo Morales, who immediately condemned the move as a “sneaky coup”.
Lawmakers had been summoned to formalise the resignation and confirm deputy senate speaker Jeanine Anez, 52, as interim president. Instead, Anez declared herself interim president when the session failed to reach a quorum of lawmakers, many staying away amid protests by Morales supporters.
The constitutional court later endorsed her appointment.
“We want to call new elections as soon as possible,” Anez said in a speech to congress, with only Morales opponents present.
“It’s a commitment we have made to the country and of course, we will fulfill it,” she said.
Anez said earlier she was confident that enough senators would reach the senate to form a quorum - 19 of the 36 were needed to do so.
Tweeting from exile in Mexico, Morales condemned what he called “the sneakiest, most nefarious coup in history”.
Morales called Anez “a coupmongering rightwing senator” and said she had “declared herself... interim president without a legislative quorum.”