Exit polls: Bolivians back Morales on recall vote

Unofficial, partial exit polls have indicated that Bolivian President Evo Morales survived a recall referendum yesterday. Figures cited by local television network ATB claimed that Morales got nearly 57% of the vote; about 10% above the 46.3% threshold he needs to beat in order to keep his job. An earlier “quick count” of roughly 1/3 of the votes that gave Morales almost 61% of voters’ support.

According to the exit polls some local governors didn’t seem to receive Morales’ good fortunate. Three of the eight provincial prefects whose jobs were also on the line appeared to have been ousted including two representing anti-Morales factions. Yet the opposition also seemed to have made some gains in that governors of four states backing increased autonomy appeared to have won.

International observers from the OAS and EU said that there were supposedly “reports of minor irregularities.” Yet the run-up to the referendum was punctuated by protests and violence. Sadly, analysts believe that Bolivians will not set aside their political differences any time soon:

"It won't change things much either way," said Kathryn Ledebur, director of Andean Information Network, a private research institution. Ledebur said she expected Morales to win, but the deadlock would remain, she said, and "each side will use it to become more deeply entrenched in their positions"…

"He's one of us. He has brought about such change, like nationalization," said Rolando Cenabire, 42, a builder from El Alto. "If he loses, we lose our rights"…

"The government is a satellite of Hugo Chavez and wants to impose a Constitution that centralizes, destroys institutions and the economy," said former President Jorge Quiroga, who heads the rightist opposition party Podemos.

Image- BBC News

Sources- AFP, CNN, Monsters & Critics, McClatchy, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, Guardian UK, IHT