MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia: waiting for Morales move

Bolivian president Carlos Mesa was confirmed by Congress Tuesday night following the signing of a governance agreement with two of the country's main political parties which supposedly will grant the administration a working majority hopefully ending weeks of political turmoil and street blockades that were strangling the economy.

Mr. Mesa officially presented his resignation to Congress last Monday amid a wave of anti government protests, sparked by a controversial hydrocarbons bill, which according to the president were pushing Bolivia to a "dead end".

Following two days of intense negotiations Mr. Mesa crossed from the presidential palace to sign the Legislative-Executive agreement and address Congress where he invited the leader of the main opposition party and promoter of the protest blockades to join the national dialogue.

But Deputy Evo Morales, who leads the main party in Congress (Movement to Socialism, MAS) and represents Indian groups linked to coca planting and route blockading was not present in Congress nor were his legislators.

Since the crisis began Mr. Mesa has had the full support of Mercosur members and most of Latinamerican countries.

Marco Garcia, International Affairs advisor to Brazilian President Lula da Silva, said "it is necessary that the general problems of Bolivia be solved within a legal framework, and not via street pressure".

Mr. Mesa has been in power since October 2003 when his predecessor Sánchez de Losada was forced to resign following blockades and urban rioting against a controversial hydrocarbons bill, which Mr. Morales alleged openly favoured foreign corporations and punished oil and minerals rich Bolivia.

The Army following then president Sanchez de Losada' orders stamped out the street rioting with a death toll of sixty and over 500 injured. Mr. Sanchez de Losada who took office in 2002 had to flee the country and is now living in Chicago.

Mr. Mesa, with no Congressional representation, took office after a political agreement was reached to hold a referendum on the basic points for a future hydrocarbons bill which had to contemplate existing contracts with foreign companies.

The referendum took place July 2004 and the bill was currently under discussion but Mr. Morales and his MAS group proposed that royalties on existing contracts be raised from 18 to 50%.

Mr. Mesa flatly refused arguing that such an initiative would not be acceptable and would force Bolivia to its knees since it would alienate foreign investors. Mr. Morales reacted by taking his people to the streets for yet another season of blockades.

"I can't continue governing while being besieged by a national blockade that strangles the country", said president Mesa in his resignation letter recalling that in his 17 months in office he had been blighted by no less than 820 protests.

When asking Mr. Morales to join the new "historic moment" that has opened for Bolivia, confirmed President Mesa revealed that the governance agreement includes approval of a new hydrocarbons bill; electing town mayors; convening a constitutional assembly to draft a new constitution and a referendum on regional autonomies.

Since the worsening of the political situation in La Paz, Bolivia's capital, Santa Cruz de la Sierra one the country's richest and most dynamic regions has reacted by strongly pushing for regional autonomy. Santa Cruz not only has oil but cattle and soybeans.

Mr. Mesa also promised taking on the Bolivian Church's initiative, the creation of a "national pact" where the three branches of government plus civil society groups can discuss the fundamentals for a peaceful, respectful and tolerant Bolivia with no more racism and no more blockades, which can take full advantage of its full potential.

Confirmed president Mesa contrary to his predecessor has managed to corner his political adversary and show him to public opinion as the "aggressor" and "disruptor", but in nationalistic Bolivia, Mr. Morales is not short of arguments.

Besides Mr. Morales holds a grudge that dates back to the 2002 election: MAS was the most voted party in a tight race but he failed confirmation in Congress and became the undisputed opposition party.

Maybe in 2007 he can finally become the first elected pure Indian blood president of Bolivia, a country dominated since independence by a white European, mostly Spanish, descendent minority.