Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06LAPAZ3061
2006-11-14 21:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy La Paz
Cable title:
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY- VOTING ON VOTING
VZCZCXRO8811 PP RUEHLMC DE RUEHLP #3061 3182148 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 142148Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1277 INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6277 RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 3598 RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7459 RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 4720 RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1970 RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 0585 RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 2031 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 3181 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 1885 RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4166 RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 4609 RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 9191 RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 0878 RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 2030 RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 003061
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2016
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY- VOTING ON VOTING
Classified By: Ecopol Counselor Andrew Erickson for reason 1.4 (b).
C O N F I D E N T I A L LA PAZ 003061
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2016
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY- VOTING ON VOTING
Classified By: Ecopol Counselor Andrew Erickson for reason 1.4 (b).
1. (SBU) After months of stalemate, the Constituent Assembly
(CA) will take up its final pending rule of order-- its
voting mechanism-- November 14-15. Morales' Movement Toward
Socialism (MAS) party has publicly declared that if it cannot
reach consensus with the opposition on its "mixed proposal,"
which purports to give the opposition a two-thirds vote on
controversial measures, it will go forward with approval of a
majority vote for all constitutional changes.
2. (SBU) Six opposition political parties support a
two-thirds vote, including Podemos and the National Unity
(UN) parties. Several opposition party representatives have
already filed an action with the Constitutional Tribunal
questioning the legality of articles 1 (which declared the CA
plenipotentiary) and 71 (which deals with the voting
mechanism, based on the MAS' use of a simple majority for
procedural votes to date) of the rules of order. The civic
committees of the "media luna," the departments of Santa
Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando, have declared their support for
the lawsuit.
3. (C) Comment: The MAS has given its CA representatives
through mid-week to reach consensus with the opposition.
However, at the MAS party congress this weekend (septel),
President Morales criticized MAS CA delegate Raul Prada for
negotiating with the opposition, and removed him as the
party's leader for the La Paz department in the Assembly,
thus calling the MAS' true intentions into question. The
vote on the voting mechanism for constitutional changes is
critical-- it may be the opposition's last real chance to
impact Bolivia's new constitution. If the MAS pushes through
its "mixed proposal," which essentially provides for a
majority vote, it could gain carte blanche for defining
Bolivia's political, economic and social future. At the very
least, a MAS win on the voting mechanism will undermine the
legitimacy of the Constituent Assembly, and risks generating
further civil unrest from a disgruntled and disenfranchised
opposition. End comment.
GOLDBERG
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2016
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL BL
SUBJECT: CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY- VOTING ON VOTING
Classified By: Ecopol Counselor Andrew Erickson for reason 1.4 (b).
1. (SBU) After months of stalemate, the Constituent Assembly
(CA) will take up its final pending rule of order-- its
voting mechanism-- November 14-15. Morales' Movement Toward
Socialism (MAS) party has publicly declared that if it cannot
reach consensus with the opposition on its "mixed proposal,"
which purports to give the opposition a two-thirds vote on
controversial measures, it will go forward with approval of a
majority vote for all constitutional changes.
2. (SBU) Six opposition political parties support a
two-thirds vote, including Podemos and the National Unity
(UN) parties. Several opposition party representatives have
already filed an action with the Constitutional Tribunal
questioning the legality of articles 1 (which declared the CA
plenipotentiary) and 71 (which deals with the voting
mechanism, based on the MAS' use of a simple majority for
procedural votes to date) of the rules of order. The civic
committees of the "media luna," the departments of Santa
Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando, have declared their support for
the lawsuit.
3. (C) Comment: The MAS has given its CA representatives
through mid-week to reach consensus with the opposition.
However, at the MAS party congress this weekend (septel),
President Morales criticized MAS CA delegate Raul Prada for
negotiating with the opposition, and removed him as the
party's leader for the La Paz department in the Assembly,
thus calling the MAS' true intentions into question. The
vote on the voting mechanism for constitutional changes is
critical-- it may be the opposition's last real chance to
impact Bolivia's new constitution. If the MAS pushes through
its "mixed proposal," which essentially provides for a
majority vote, it could gain carte blanche for defining
Bolivia's political, economic and social future. At the very
least, a MAS win on the voting mechanism will undermine the
legitimacy of the Constituent Assembly, and risks generating
further civil unrest from a disgruntled and disenfranchised
opposition. End comment.
GOLDBERG