Bolivia lawmakers approve constitutional change to let Morales seek 4th term; needs voter OK
LA PAZ, Bolivia – Bolivia's congress has approved a constitutional amendment that would allow President Evo Morales to seek a fourth term in 2020. The measure approved on a 112-41 vote Saturday by the Legislative Assembly will be submitted to voters in a national referendum. The move had been expected since Morales' supporters control the two-thirds of congress needed to adopt constitutional amendments. Morales is Bolivia's first indigenous president and in last year's election he won his six-year term with 60 percent of the votes. But he has seen support erode some as a result of economic woes caused by the country's dependence on exports of natural gas and minerals, which are fetching lower prices on world markets. |