Bolivia chooses Morales

Sunday’s election sparked days of riots and protests after a sudden shift in the vote count on Monday extended Morales’s lead over Carlos Mesa, helping him achieve the 10-point margin needed for outright victory.

STREET pavement exclaims electoral fraud during a strike against the results of the election in Bolivia, with Evo Morales getting reelected as president. AFP

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AFP) — Bolivia’s electoral tribunal concluded its count of general election votes on Friday and confirmed the controversial reelection of President Evo Morales despite opposition accusations of fraud.

Sunday’s election sparked days of riots and protests after a sudden shift in the vote count on Monday extended Morales’s lead over Carlos Mesa, helping him achieve the 10-point margin needed for outright victory.

With all the votes now counted, Supreme Electoral Tribunal president Maria Eugenia Choque read out the final results giving Morales 47.08 percent and Mesa 36.5 percent — just enough for the incumbent to avoid a second round runoff.

“Bolivia’s electoral system is completely transparent,” said Idelfonso Mani, one of the TSE’s magistrates.

Mesa, who’s accused the government of “fraud” has already said he won’t accept the results.

Fresh clashes between rival groups broke out on Friday, while protesters draped in Bolivia’s red, yellow and green flag blocked roads in La Paz with barricades of tires, rope and trash cans as they demanded their “vote be respected.”

The official result means Morales, who turns 60 on Saturday, has won a fourth successive term despite the constitution he promulgated in 2009 limiting presidents to two mandates.

Backed by a collective of centrist and right-wing parties, former president (2003-05) Mesa has called on his supporters to maintain street protests.

“The strike is unlimited. We want a second round because it’s clear there’s been fraud,” consultant Ruben Lopez, 62, told AFP.

“The OAS and EU saw there was massive cheating.”

On Thursday the European Union, United States, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia called for a second round runoff to restore trust and confidence in the electoral process.

The Organization of American States had already expressed “surprise” and “concern” over Monday’s sudden shift in official tallies, which increased Morales’s lead, and has agreed to look into the results.