A surprising development in Bolivia: If Evo enacts a law approved by the Senate (as he said he would), there will be a recall referendum in Bolivia as early as August (90 days after the law is enacted). The recall referendum would put Evo & the country’s nine prefects up for an up or down popular vote of confidence.
Additionally, there’s a renewed push for reform of the National Electoral Court (CNE), from w/in the court’s ranks itself. Jerónimo Pinheiro, a member of the court, refused to sign a letter denouncing the Tarija, Beni, and Pando autonomy referendums (which are to be carried out by their respective regional electoral courts), and argued that the CNE (and its regional organs) is caught in the crossfire between the government & opposition. Such a move, of course, will only politicize the organ even more, since both government & opposition will seek to stack the court w/ its sympathizers.
There’s still hope for a democratic solution to the brewing crisis. It will, of course, depend on whether both sides—government & opposition—are willing to compromise, and if necessary, lose. Adam Przeworski once defined democracy as “a system in which parties lose elections” (meaning democrats must recognize that their side sometimes loses, and be willing to accept that). But Juan Linz also defined democracy as a “pro tempore regime” (meaning democratic decisions can never be permanently binding, they must always be reversible at some later date). Bolivian leaders will have to learn both lessons.
