Bolivia Panel Clears Bill to Change Constitution
Bolivia Panel Clears Bill to Change Constitution
Move could potentially extend president’s term limits
By Ryan Dube
Sept. 23, 2015 3:29 p.m. ET
A Bolivian legislative committee has approved a bill to change the constitution, paving the way for President Evo Morales to potentially stay in power beyond his current term.
The bill, which was cleared late Tuesday by the constitutional committee, will be sent to the Legislative Assembly’s plenary, where it will require two-thirds supermajority vote to pass. If approved in the plenary, it will be voted on in a national referendum, expected to be held in February.
The move to reform the constitution was widely expected after Mr. Morales won a landslide election last year for a third term in office. During that election, his ruling Movement Towards Socialism party, or MAS, also won a two-thirds supermajority in the Legislative Assembly.
“The surprise would be if he didn’t pursue (re-election),” said Michael Shifter, the president of the think tank Inter-American Dialogue. “As long as he has high levels of popular support, it is highly unlikely that he would not look for another term in office and change the constitution.”
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http://www.wsj.com/articles/bolivia-panel-clears-bill-to-change-constitution-1443036552