MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivian bitter political dispute on collision course

Bolivian president Evo Morales accused opposition governors on Wednesday of conspiring against his government and insisted he would not yield to conservative pressures to impede him from his plans for the “re-foundation” of the country, one of the poorest of the continent.

On Monday four of five governors who have held autonomy referendums, which Mr. Morales considers "illegal", but had overwhelming support, rejected the recall vote the Bolivian president has organized for next August 10, which will put all executive posts on the line. The governors of Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija - plus Cochabamba - issued a statement saying they would not stage the planned recall referendum unless "it complies with the autonomy statutes" that have recently been approved. They called for a meeting to be held on July first to seek a way out of the crisis. If no agreement was reached, general elections set for 2011 should be brought forward, they said. "I want the National police and the Armed Forces giving the example by respecting the legal system and imposing respect for the Constitution", said Morales during the celebration of a new anniversary of the Bolivian police force. Morales during his speech repeatedly called on the governors "to respect the laws of the Republic", but did not give any details of what would be the specific role of the police and armed forces in the political conflict with the governors. Five of Bolivia's nine governors, which are also the richest reject Morales plans to re distribute land among the destitute indigenous population, the growing government intervention in the economy, the nationalization of different sectors including oil and gas, and have taken distance from his administration's domestic and international policies. The bitter dispute has led to autonomy referendums in the dissident provinces, described as "illegal" and "unconstitutional" by President Morales who has organized the recall vote of next August. The following step would be a referendum on a new constitution which the rich provinces of Bolivia reject plain blank but which Mr. Morales considers the re-foundation of Bolivia granting the indigenous population and peasants special rights plus opening the way for his reelection. President Morales said that the August recall referendum was proposed by the governors and he accepted the challenge. The governors "fear the people" and reject the recall referendum because "they want to keep stealing". But when their mandates are revoked "they will have to stop stealing". The terms of President Morales and Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera formally expire in January 2011.