MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Morales proposal: greater autonomy for constitution vote

Bolivian President Evo Morales offered Friday to include eastern provinces' autonomy demands in his proposed new constitution, raising hopes for a solution to the country's prolonged violent political crisis.

"The president has proposed calling a viable constitutional referendum with improvements to the autonomies chapter. The proposal is on the table", said Decentralization Deputy Minister Fabian Yaksic who is the government's delegate in the negotiation table with eight governors, under monitoring from international facilitators. However no details of the proposal have been aired since negotiations are behind closed doors in three different discussion tables: the first refers to the oil and gas tax revenue claimed by the provinces; a second to autonomies and the new constitution and a third will deal with Congressional understandings to name magistrates and other government officials. The political situation erupted when a year ago the constitutional assembly was unable to reach a consensus on the new chart, which then led to the four of the country's richest regions to push for autonomies which the central government had defined as "illegal". President Morales, riding high after winning 67% support in last month's recall election, including surprising gains in the traditionally hostile lowland east, plus explicit support from a South American presidents summit, is pushing for a national vote to approve a new constitution granting greater power and resources to Bolivia's indigenous majority. "Who knows, maybe it's a problem, maybe it's a crime to work on behalf of the forgotten," Morales said during a brief visit to Panama. "But that's the most important thing, these transformations in the framework of democracy." Deadly protests swept the east provinces last week as anti-Morales groups blockaded highways, sacked government offices and seized gas pipelines. The worst of the violence took place in the rural eastern province of Pando, where Governor Leopoldo Fernandez was arrested and accused of organizing an armed ambush of Morales supporters that killed 17. Pando is emblematic of Morales' strengthening hand; he polled a surprising 53% in the recall election there, and if the charges against Fernandez stick, he could soon be rid of one of his most virulent opponents. Meantime the Sao Paulo press published that on direct instructions from President Lula da Silva, Governor Fernandez was not granted asylum as his family, fearing for his life, had requested from Brasilia. "With this gesture, President Lula da Silva wanted to show he would not interfere in the internal conflict of Bolivia", reported O Estado de Sao Paulo. President Lula da Silva was consulted while he was in Santiago for the South American leaders' summit to address the Bolivian situation. Apparently the arrest warrant against Fernandez was issued last Sunday but not implemented until Tuesday, after the Santiago meeting was over, Nevertheless O Estado do Sao Paulo points out that the Brazilian Foreign Affairs ministry believes the arrest of Fernandez is against Bolivian legality, since elected governors have immunity and before they are sacked must be impeached by Congress.