La Paz: Bolivia is on course to elect a non-left wing president for the first time in almost two decades, according to official preliminary results from presidential election.
Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira of the Christian Democratic Party emerged as the surprise frontrunner, edging out former interim president Jorge Quiroga into second place. Neither candidate secured the majority required for an outright win, pushing the contest to a run-off in October.
Paz Pereira, who campaigned under the slogan ‘capitalism for all, not just a few’, focused on redistributing funds from the central government to the regions, tackling corruption, offering accessible credit and tax breaks, and lowering import barriers on goods not produced domestically. Quiroga, who briefly led Bolivia between 2001 and 2002, is also campaigning on a pro-business platform.
View this post on Instagram
The shift away from nearly 20 years of Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) dominance could trigger sweeping changes in Bolivia’s foreign policy. Analysts suggest closer ties with the United States and greater openness to foreign investment in the country’s vast lithium reserves, an increasingly strategic resource for electric vehicle and clean energy industries.
A country in crisis
The election takes place against the backdrop of Bolivia’s worst economic downturn in years, marked by shortages of fuel, foreign reserves, food items, and rising debt and inflation. Polls had indicated widespread voter dissatisfaction with MAS, which has governed under Evo Morales and his successor, Luis Arce.
Arce, facing deep unpopularity, opted not to seek re-election. His party’s candidate, Eduardo del Castillo, faced hostility at the ballot box, with voters jeering and telling him to wait in line ‘like they do for fuel.’
Violence also marred election day. Andrónico Rodríguez, a former Morales ally turned rival, was pelted with stones as he went to vote. Authorities confirmed an explosive device was set off near his polling station, though no serious injuries were reported.
The fall of MAS dominance
MAS has been plagued by infighting, with deep divisions between Morales loyalists and those aligned with Arce. Morales, who ruled Bolivia from 2006 until his disputed resignation in 2019, was barred from running again and urged his supporters to cast null votes.
The former president still commands a loyal base, particularly in Chapare, where he has been politically active despite facing an arrest warrant over allegations of sexually abusing a minor—charges he denies as politically motivated.
Since Morales’s ouster in 2019, the left has struggled to regain cohesion. His rivalry with Arce has fractured the party, while a series of corruption scandals and unpopular economic policies have eroded voter trust.
As the October run-off approaches, Bolivia stands at a political crossroads. A win for either Paz Pereira or Quiroga would not only end MAS’s near two-decade grip on power but also reshape the country’s domestic policies and international alliances.
MOST READ | Pakistan floods leave over 320 dead as rescue efforts face hurdles
