Bolivian senator declares herself interim president

By Muhammed Emin Canik

BUENOS AIRES (AA) - Bolivia on Tuesday announced its interim president who will take the country to early elections in 90 days after long-serving leader Evo Morales resigned.

Jeanine Anez, a member of the Democratic Union Party and second vice-president of the Senate, assumed control as head of state in a session of Bolivia’s Legislative Assembly.

Despite failing to garner a majority of the vote due to a boycott by members of Morales’ Movement for Socialism party, Anez declared herself president.

Anez said the country's laws allowed her to assume the post of interim head of state after the resignation of the president and vice-president.

She pointed out that she would do her best to ensure peace in the country and would hold general elections as soon as possible.

She is expected to take the country to early elections in 90 days.

Anez is known for her anti-Morales politics and has served for 10 years as an opposition lawmaker.

Morales’ supporters meanwhile continued protesting in the capital, La Paz.

Presidential polls were held in Bolivia on Oct. 20 and Morales obtained 47.8% of the vote, securing victory in the first round. But the opposition claimed there had been election fraud and some parties urged supporters to take to the streets.

After the opposition called for a canceling of the polls, Morales announced there would be new elections, but opposition supporters said they would continue protests until an election without Morales was held.

On Sunday, Bolivian Army Chief Williams Kaliman called on Morales to step down in a nationwide address broadcast live.

Morales said he resigned and a "coup" had been carried out against him. He said he made the decision to prevent opposition leader Luis Fernando, president of the right-wing Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee, and Carlos Mesa, a former president of Bolivia, from issuing further instructions to their supporters to attack Bolivians.

*Writing by Dilara Hamit in Ankara