La Paz, (Asian independent) Bolivia’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has officially certified Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party’s Luis Arce as President-elect for the 2020-2025 term.
The TSE presented Arce with the credentials that certify him winner of the October 18 presidential elections, at a ceremony in La Paz on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.
TSE President Salvador Romero described the elections as “the most complex” modern-day Bolivia has ever seen due to the heightened political tensions between Arce’s progressive MAS party and the conservative opposition.
“Today, with the presentation of the credentials to the elected president and vice president, we conclude the most complex election in the democratic history of the country,” said Romero.
The “socio-political and regional tensions” were compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, which led to the elections being postponed, further aggravating the atmosphere of contention, he added.
Romero further said that election-day turnout was high, with some 88 per cent of eligible voters going to the polls, the second highest voter turnout on record.
Arce later thanked the Bolivian people for their support, in a message posted on Twitter.
“I received the credential that accredits me as president-elect of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. I ratify my commitment to work and love for the homeland. Thanks to the Bolivian people for their trust,” he said.
On October 23, the TSE declared Arce the winner with 55.1 per cent of the votes in the general elections.
This is the first time since 1989 that the country has published the official results of a presidential election in such a short period of time.
A month before the elections, Bolivia’s interim President Jeanine Anez quit the election race, saying that she did not want to split the vote and see the return to office of Morales’ MAS socialist party, the BBC reported.
Anez was sworn in last year after Morales, who currently lives in Argentina, resigned and left the country amid allegations of electoral fraud.
Morales later said he was forced into exile by the police and the military.
He served as Bolivia’s President for almost 14 years, from 2006 to 2019, after winning three consecutive elections.
