Bolivia held an election on October 18. The country is divided between indigenous Bolivians and European descendants. It has had a terrible covid-19 outbreak. It has been the scene of recent violent protests.
Its election was peaceful and orderly, and approximately 90% of eligible voters voted. The government presented a plan for voting. The candidate who was trailing pledged to respect the outcome. The electoral tribunal in charge of the election ran a campaign that educated voters on how the process worked. The election was touted as a way to unify the country. A socialist, Luis Arce, received 55% of the vote and was sworn in peacefully,
The Organization of American States called the election “exemplary.” Bolivian voters saw their participation as a moral duty and were proud of their election.
A few weeks ago I compared the U.S. election to that of a third world country. If only.
Info for this post is from Julie Turkewitz,”Free and Fair Vote in a Polarized Nation? Bolivia Shows How It’s Done,” New York Times, (Oct. 30, 2020), p. A14.
No comments:
Post a Comment