MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivian president claims political rivals are preparing a coup for this week

It was the second time in five days that Morales has warned of a coup; it comes after Bolivia's electoral court declared him the winner of last Sunday's election

Bolivia's President Evo Morales claimed on Sunday his political rivals were preparing a coup d'etat next week as strike action and protests against his controversial re-election continued.

It was the second time in five days that Morales has warned of a coup, and it comes after Bolivia's electoral court earlier this week declared him the winner of last Sunday's election over his nearest challenger, Carlos Mesa.

Morales's opponents and independent observers have complained of irregularities in the vote count, prompting demands for a runoff or outright nullification of the results.

Speaking from the rural village of Vila Vila, Morales warned ”all the Bolivian people (that) various sectors of society ... are preparing for a coup d'etat next week.”

On Friday, the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) announced Morales as the winner of the recent vote, with 47.1 per cent compared to 36.5 per cent for Mesa.

That narrowly gave Morales the 10-point margin he needed to win outright without a runoff.

A sudden and unexplained change in the ballot count Monday had boosted his advantage, leading the TSE's own vice president to resign in protest.

Foreign powers including the European Union and the United States have called for a second round, while the Organization of American States (OAS) expressed its “surprise” and “concern” over the sudden vote shift.

The Washington-based OAS is planning to audit the results.

Mesa, a former president backed by a collective of centrist and right-wing parties, has rejected the official tally, calling it “the result of fraud and a breach of the popular will.”

The poll triggered a week of violent protests, with rival supporters clashing with security forces and each other in La Paz and elsewhere.

Mesa has called on his supporters to maintain their street protests.