Original: Spanish
The Socialist International Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean, meeting in Santo Domingo on 3-4 November 2017, addressed the serious situation affecting democracy in Bolivia due to the actions carried out by the party in government, Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), that threatens to cause a breakdown of the constitutional order with unpredictable consequences.
The party in government (MAS) has submitted to the Plurinational Constitutional Court an action of abstract appeal of unconstitutionality, with a view to having the Court declare the non-applicability of four articles of the Bolivian Constitution, in order to legalise the indefinite re-nomination of President Evo Morales to the presidency.
On 21 February 2016, the Bolivian people rejected by referendum the attempt by the Legislative Assembly to modify Article 168 of the Political Constitution of the State that establishes that the president can only be re-elected for one consecutive mandate, a result which expresses the sovereign decision of the Bolivian people to reject a fourth re-run by the president.
As stated by the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) referring to the situation in Bolivia, no judge can ignore the opinion of the only sovereign: the people.
The SI Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean expresses its concern at the above- mentioned actions promoted by the party in government and calls on President Morales to respect the result of the referendum of February 2016.
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