Bolivia to hold general elections on May 3

By Vakkas Dogantekin

ANKARA (AA) - Bolivia will hold general elections on May 3, the country's highest election body declared.

"The Supreme Electoral Tribunal [TSE] announces that the call for the General Election to be held on Sunday, May 3, 2020, was approved," the body announced on Sunday.

Bolivians will elect their president, vice president and other legislators after months of political strife in the country that led to the forced resignation of former leader Evo Morales.

According to the election calendar, a runoff will be held 45 days later if no candidate wins the first round by securing 50% or more of the votes, or 40% with a 10-point lead over the runner-up.

"We are working to provide the people certainty of a transparent process," Salvador Romero, the head of the TSE told reporters at a press conference.

Promising a "scrupulous" counting of the votes, Romero said: "The main activity for citizens is the process of registering [...] in the voter roster. That activity is going to take place two weeks from now."

Voter registration will begin on Jan. 18 and continue for nine days, he added.

Political parties are to register their candidates for president, vice president and legislative seats by the end of the month.

Turmoil in Bolivia began in October when Morales won a fourth term in office and faced immediate resistance from opposition parties that challenged election results. Protesters took to the streets, claiming the ballot was rigged.

After weeks of upheaval, Morales resigned under pressure from the military and moved to Mexico, where he was offered political asylum. He was then granted asylum in Argentina.

Conservative Senator Jeanine Anez then proclaimed herself interim president.

But public demonstrations have yet to subside, with mostly rural and indigenous pro-Morales supporters taking to the streets, including La Paz, as well as Sacaba and Cochabamba, since he left the country saying his ouster was a coup.