BOLIVIA 25 January 2009 President Evo Morales plans referendum to further his socialist policies

Bolivia's first indigenous leader, leftist President Evo Morales, plans a referendum on a new constitution that will further the interests of the country's impoverished indigenous majority. A recall vote on Aug 10 gave Morales a fresh mandate to advance efforts to redistribute petroleum royalties and private farmlands among the country's indigenous people. The five energy-rich and prosperous regions of Bolivia, where the people are of mainly European descent, are expected to boycott the vote.

The new referendum is expected to deepen the chasm between Morales and his opponents. Authorities in Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando, Tarija and Chuquisaca seek greater regional autonomy and reject the new constitution proposed by Morales. On Sep 3 they threatened stepped-up protests against his socialist government that could cut off exports of natural gas, the country's main economic asset, to Argentina and Brazil.

Morales, a former coca farmer, came to power in 2006 promising sweeping socialist reforms.

The recall vote was an effort by the opposition party Podermos to remove Morales from office. UPDATED Nov/08

RELATED READING:

Protests could cut Bolivian gas exports (AFP 3 Sep 2008)
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jn8M8QMEIfU7kJhvuqe7KNMwwGiQ

Recall vote in Bolivia seen as win for Morales (NYT 10 Aug 2008)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/world/americas/11bolivia.html