2002 Bolivian general election

none Bolivia state 1997 Bolivian general election 1997 2005 Bolivian general election 2005 President, all 27 + 130 seats in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly 4,155,055 72.06% ( 0.70pp) yes Presidential election presidential 130x130px 30 June 2002 (popular vote)6 August 2002 (Congress vote) Gonzálo_Sánchez_de_Lozada-Agencia_BrasilAntonio_Cruz.jpg Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada MNR–MBL Carlos Mesa 84 624,126 22.46% Evo Morales 2006 (cropped2).jpg Evo Morales Movement for Socialism (Bolivia) Antonio Peredo 581,884 43 20.94% Manfred Reyes Villa en 2009.png Manfred Reyes Villa New Republican Force Ivo Kuljis 581,163 20.91% Jaime Paz Zamora. Eguino, Antonio. 1989, Carlos D. Mesa collection, La Paz (Cropped).png Jaime Paz Zamora MIR–FRI Carlos Saavedra 453,375 16.32% Felipe Quispe en noviembre de 2019.png Felipe Quispe Pachakuti Indigenous Movement Esther Balboa 169,239 6.09% Jhonny Fernández.jpg Jhonny Fernández UCS–FSB 0080FF Marlene Fernández 153,210 5.51% 260px Results by department 260px Results by province President Jorge Quiroga Nationalist Democratic Action Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada MNR–MBL yes Legislative election yes yes All 36 seats in the Chamber of SenatorsAll 130 seats in the Chamber of Deputies 30 June 2002 Chamber of Senators Revolutionary Nationalist Movement 4 11 Movimiento al Socialismo New 8 Revolutionary Left Movement (Bolivia) 7 5 New Republican Force New 2 Nationalist Democratic Action 11 1 Chamber of Deputies Revolutionary Nationalist Movement 26 36 Movimiento al Socialismo New 27 Revolutionary Left Movement (Bolivia) 23 26 New Republican Force New 25 Pachakuti Indigenous Movement New 6 Solidarity Civic Unity 21 5 Nationalist Democratic Action 32 4 Socialist Party (Bolivia) 0 1 General elections were held in Bolivia on 30 June 2002.Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p133 978-0-19-928358-3 As no candidate for the presidency received over 50% of the vote, the National Congress was required to elect a president. Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada was elected with 84 votes to the 43 received by Evo Morales. This marked the last time the MAS-IPSP lost a presidential election until 2025. Background Although Bolivia has had a long history of political instability since independence in 1825, the election in 2002 marked Bolivia's fifth consecutive democratic election.Matthew M. Singer Kevin M. Morrison March 2004 The 2002 presidential and parliamentary elections in Bolivia Department of Political Science Electoral Studies 23 1 172–182 10.1016/j.electstud.2003.09.004 The most recent uninterrupted period of democratic rule began in 1982 as Bolivia developed a unitary political system, with nine departments, divided into 22 provinces and 314 municipalities.Van Cott Donna Lee 2003 From Exclusion to Inclusion: Bolivias 2002 Elections Journal of Latin American Studies 35 4 751–775 10.1017/S0022216X03006977 At this time, a competitive party system developed around three major parties—the center-right MNR and ADN, and the center-left MIR. In 1989, two populist parties emerged to compete with the three established parties: the left-wing Conciencia de Patria (Condepa) and the right-wing Union Civica Solidaridad (UCS). While the major axis of competition remained along the three established parties, the populist parties combined to capture a third of the popular vote in 1997. In April 2000 major conflicts over the privatization of water infrastructure in Cochabamba led to violent protests. During that same time, the ADN government moved to rid the country of coca farms. These two events majorly contributed to the increase in support for then congressman Evo Morales and the widespread dissatisfaction with the ADN government. The general dissatisfaction of rural populations in Bolivia increased to the extent that large indigenous protests in La Paz the week before the election pushed for a constituent assembly to better represent the rural and indigenous social groups in the constitution. Because of the threat these marches posed to the stability of the election, the government agreed to hold a Special Session considering constitutional reforms, after the election.Harding, James (December 4, 2002). "REPORT ON THE ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION GENERAL ELECTIONS IN BOLIVIA - 2002" (PDF). Organization of American States. Retrieved April 2, 2017. After the deaths of their respective party leaders, Condepa and UCS lost significant power and popular support. By the 2002 election, two other populist parties emerged to take their place, Manfred Reyes Villa’s Nueva Fuerza Republicana (NFR) and Evo Morales' Movement for Socialism (MAS). The election revolved around these two ‘outsider’ candidates and the MNR’s established candidate, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (Goni), a high profile American-educated politician who had previously served from 1993 to 1997. Parties and candidates 11 parties total qualified for the election, including some new and nontraditional parties. MNR-MBL The MNR-MBL (an alliance between the centrist Revolutionary Nationalist Movement and the center-left Free Bolivia Movement) nominated former president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada for the presidency. One of the parties that had traditionally held power since the beginning of Bolivian democracy, it had close ties with the country's business elite and had cracked down on coca production in the 90s, hoping to improve relations with the United States. Sánchez de Lozada's campaign was run by American campaign managers, including James Carville, who used tools typically not seen in Bolivian elections to help their candidate win—focus groups, TV ads, and extensive use of polling among them. These campaign consultants, combined with Sánchez de Lozada's American background (he grew up in America, and attended the University of Chicago) fostered distrust among the Bolivian people, many of whom blamed the US for damaging the coca industry. At the same time, the campaign tactics also helped to bolster their position. Movement for Socialism The Movement for Socialism (MAS) was an upstart populist party, led by former coca farmer and union leader Evo Morales. It rose to prominence during the campaign by promising to restore coca production and championing indigenous rights, which had not had much power in the decades leading up to the election (before 2002, indigenous parties never won more than 5% of the vote.Van Cott Donna Lee 2003-01-01 From Exclusion to Inclusion: Bolivia's 2002 Elections 3875831 Journal of Latin American Studies 35 4 751–775 10.1017/s0022216x03006977) Morales' campaign was given a boost when, shortly before the election, the US ambassador asked Bolivians to vote for anyone but Morales—angering the voters, who felt the US was trying to meddle in their election. The party ultimately beat expectations, coming in second place and setting Morales up as the opposition leader to Sánchez de Lozada. New Republican Force The New Republican Force (NRF) was the other traditional political party running in the election, nominating former mayor of Cochabamba Manfred Reyes Villa.Mayorga, René Antonio (2006), "Outsiders and Neopopulism: The Road to Plepiscitary Democracy", The Crisis of Democratic Representation in the Andes, Stanford University Press, p. 164, 9780804767910 Reyes Villa came in a close 3rd, winning about 700 votes fewer than Morales, and formed a governing coalition with Sánchez de Lozada. Later, Sánchez de Lozada was forced to resign when Reyes Villa pulled his support.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/oct/18/bolivia Bolivian president resigns amid chaos Agencies 2003-10-17 The Guardian 2017-04-03 en-GB 0261-3077 MIR-FRI The MIR-FRI (an alliance between the left wing Revolutionary Left Movement and Revolutionary Left Front parties) nominated former president Jaime Paz Zamora. Zamora's earlier term was relatively successful, but his actions left him vulnerable to attacks similar to those aimed at Sánchez de Lozada—accusations that he hurt coca farmers, and wasn't doing enough for the poor.http://www.cidob.org/biografias_lideres_politicos/america_del_sur/bolivia/jaime_paz_zamora CIDOB - CIDOB CIDOB 2017-04-03 Pachakuti Indigenous Movement The Pachakuti Indigenous Movement, led by Felipe Quispe, was an indigenist and populist left-wing party, running directly against the neoliberal centrism promoted by Sánchez de Lozada and Zamora. Its platform is similar to that of Morales and his MAS, although more extreme, condemning any cooperation with United States anti-coca programs and economic reforms. Quispe came in 5th, with 6.1% of the vote. Campaign In the 2002 election there were 11 total parties competing for the vote. For the first time, three established parties (MNR, MIR and UCS) formed a coalition in order to compete with the rising dominance of the populist parties. This demonstrated a significant shift in the electoral environment as the axis of competition shifted from intra-elite competition to competition between the traditional parties and outsider parties. The strong nationalist and populist surge was partly a backlash against the pro-globalization and neoliberal reforms enacted by Sánchez de Lozada during his earlier term as president, as well as his American background and education. He was seen as overly sympathetic to American and other foreign interests, a perception reinforced when US ambassador Manuel Rocha asked Bolivians not to vote for the populist Evo Morales shortly before the election.http://www.clarin.com/ediciones-anteriores/polemica-bolivia-embajador-eeuu_0_HkuZiNlAYe.html Polémica en Bolivia con el embajador de EE.UU. Clarín es 2017-04-02 27 June 2002 Controversy in Bolivia with the U.S. ambassador Throughout this uninterrupted period of Democracy starting in 1982 the leading parties and fringe parties have stayed roughly the same. In this election there was a sudden shift in the front runners of the race. In this race, one of the previous power house parties, National Democratic Action (ADN), gained less than 4% percent of the vote, while fringe party leaders Morales, and Felipe Quispe moved into 2nd and 5th place.Assies Willem 2003 Crisis in Bolivia: Elections in 2002 and their Aftermath http://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/3405/1/B38_-_Crisis_in_Bolivia_The_Elections_of_2002_and_their_Aftermath.pdf University of London Institute of Latin American Studies Research Papers 56 4–22 University of London The period after military rule in Bolivia when citizens were once again put in charge of the government showed a lot of instability in the political sphere. Most political scientists believe that the political state of Bolivia in 1993 was one of havoc, but it was moving towards becoming a more unified democracy. The 2002 campaigns leading up to the election as well as the election results themselves show a different picture. The stratification and instability of the party system has become even more strained than it previously was and constituted one of the most volatile campaign seasons in Bolivian history since independence. Coca production also played an important role in the election. Sánchez de Lozada had cracked down on illegal coca production during his earlier term as president, which improved Bolivian relations with the United States but hurt many poor and indigenous farmers, who relied on coca as their livelihood. Runner-up Evo Morales, who had come from the indigenous population and represented coca farmers earlier in his life, promised to restore the coca industry and reject American influence—leading to the US ambassador's denunciation of his candidacy, as mentioned above.http://www.oas.org/sap/docs/permanent_council/2003/cp_doc_3685_03_eng.pdf REPORT ON THE ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION GENERAL ELECTIONS IN BOLIVIA - 2002 Harding James December 4, 2002 Organization of American States April 2, 2017 Nevertheless, the threat was credited with significantly boosting the amount of support Morales received in the election as well.Jean Friedman-Rudovsky, Bolivia to Expel US Ambassador, Time, Sept. 11, 2008 Results A total of 24 women won seats in the National Congress and four were in the Chamber of Senators following the parliamentary elections.https://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/283/ IFES Election Guide Elections: Bolivia Legislative June 30, 2002 2017-04-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20170405170641/https://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/283/ 2017-04-05 dead President In the Congressional vote 26 votes were cast for Manfred Reyes Villa, but were declared invalid as he was ineligible to be a candidate in the Congressional vote.https://www.clarin.com/ediciones-anteriores/sanchez-lozada-regreso-presidencia-bolivia_0_ryi3rElCKx.html Sánchez de Lozada regresó a la presidencia de Bolivia Clarin 5 August 2002 Popular vote Congressional vote MNR–MBL Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Carlos Mesa 624126 84 Movement for Socialism Evo Morales Antonio Peredo Leigue 581884 43 New Republican Force Manfred Reyes Villa Ivo Kuljis Füchtner 581163 MIR–FRI Jaime Paz Zamora Carlos Saavedra Bruno 453375 Pachakuti Indigenous Movement Felipe Quispe Esther Balboa Bustamante 169239 UCS–FSB Jhonny Fernández Marlene Fernández del Granado 153210 Nationalist Democratic Action Ronald MacLean Abaroa Tito Hoz de Vila 94386 Freedom and Justice Party Alberto Costa Ximena Prudencio Bilbao 75522 Freedom and Justice Party (Bolivia) Socialist Party Rolando Morales Ernesto Ayoroa Argandoña 18162 Citizens' Movement for Change René Blattmann Carlos Alarcón Mondonio 17405 Conscience of Fatherland Nicolás Valdivia Esperanza Huanca Poma 10336 84572 26 130685 2 4155055 157 PDBA Chanber of Deputies File:Cámara de Diputados de Bolivia elecciones 2002.svg List Constituency MNR–MBL 624126 12 611027 24 36 +5 Movement for Socialism 581884 13 373454 14 27 New New Republican Force 581163 20 395559 5 25 MIR–FRI 453375 11 478614 15 26 +3 Pachakuti Indigenous Movement 169239 1 134177 5 6 New UCS–FSB 153210 5 200487 0 5 –16 Nationalist Democratic Action 94386 0 190618 4 4 Freedom and Justice Party 75522 0 63960 0 0 New Freedom and Justice Party (Bolivia) Socialist Party 18162 0 63588 1 1 New Citizens' Movement for Change 17405 0 20758 0 0 New Conscience of Fatherland 10336 0 22778 0 0 –19 0 84572 73417 130685 359380 4155055 4155055 Election Passport, IPU Chamber of Senators File:Senado de Bolivia elecciones 2002.svg MNR–MBL 624126 11 +6 Movement for Socialism 581884 8 New New Republican Force 581163 2 – MIR–FRI 453375 5 –1 Pachakuti Indigenous Movement 169239 0 New UCS–FSB 153210 0 –2 Nationalist Democratic Action 94386 1 – Freedom and Justice Party 75522 0 New Freedom and Justice Party (Bolivia) Socialist Party 18162 0 New Citizens' Movement for Change 17405 0 New Conscience of Fatherland 10336 0 –3 0 84572 130685 4155055 Aftermath Although many Bolivians were dissatisfied with the results of the election, the elections were generally competitive and fair. Of the candidates only Reyes Villa made claims of electoral fraud, and these claims were largely taken as griping rather than serious accusations.https://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/3405/1/B38_-_Crisis_in_Bolivia_The_Elections_of_2002_and_their_Aftermath.pdf Crisis in Bolivia: The Elections of 2002 and their Aftermath Institute of Latin American Studies University of London 2003 April 28, 2022 Assies Willem Salman Ton No candidate won a clear majority, so the newly elected legislature had to choose between the top two candidates. At this point, Sánchez de Lozada openly negotiated with MIR and Villa’s NFR to shore up coalition support, while Morales refused negotiate with other parties. On 25 July, four weeks after the elections, the MNR, MIR, and UCS among other parties formed the "Government of National Responsibility."Electoral rules and the transformation of Bolivian politics : the rise of Evo Morales Muñoz-Pogossian Betilde Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian Palgrave Macmillan 2008 New York, NY 156–160 After a two-month period of negotiations and coalition making, Sánchez de Lozada was officially elected president by Congress on 4 August with 84 of the 127 valid Congressional votes. While the elections were constitutionally legal and democratic, many voters felt unrepresented and were dissatisfied with the domination of the ideologically incoherent coalition. More than 70 percent of the population had not supported Sánchez de Lozada in the electoral vote, and Congress had elected him president through a series of party negotiations. Inauguration day was met with massive protests by the national confederations of laborers, teachers, medical workers, and peasants. Sánchez de Lozada's precarious position only worsened. Six months into his presidency, the government announced their plan to increase income tax without a proportional increase for those earning the most. La Paz and other urban centers erupted in massive protests. Even the police and other civil society groups rose up against the proposed income tax. Sánchez de Lozada sent in the military to suppress the protests. Outside the palace, the military opened fire and violently ended the confrontation. While the president retracted the proposed income tax, demonstrations, roadblocks, and violent confrontations continued in the following months. Massive protests and strikes erupted again when Sánchez de Lozada proposed to export gas through Chile. This resulted in the gas conflict, where dozens of civilians were killed in confrontations with the military. Parties began withdrawing their support from the governing coalition, and Goni was forced to resign and leave the country on 18 October 2003. Goni was succeeded by his vice-president, Carlos Mesa. While in charge Mesa kept his promises made when he came into power, appointing a cabinet of mostly independents, showing great sensitivity toward the indigenous people, and overturning a 1997 decree that gave natural gas rights to the people who extracted it. Mesa was also in the process of reforming elections, allowing for greater public participation in elections, as well as plans for a constituent assembly to consider creating a new constitution.Ribando Clare 2007 Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Relations with the United States https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL32580.pdf CRS Report for Congress 1–18 Congressional Research Service Even though these reforms temporarily quelled unrest, by 2005 protests erupted again and Mesa was forced to resign. In 2005, the populist candidate Evo Morales was elected president. On December 1, 2023, Manuel Rocha, who at the time of the election served as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia and was credited with boosting support for Morales with his public speech threatening to cut U.S. aid to Bolivia if Morales were elected, was arrested in Miami, Florida on charges of illegally acting in the interests of the Cuban government.Goodman Joshua Tucker Eric https://apnews.com/article/fbi-cuba-bolivia-former-ambassador-arrested-af9d80a4f268099364dff249dd74b3ec Former US ambassador arrested in Florida, accused of serving as an agent of Cuba, AP source says Associated Press 2023-12-03 2023-12-03 See also Our Brand Is Crisis (2005), a documentary about Sánchez de Lozada's presidential campaign and influence of American political consultants Our Brand Is Crisis (2015), a comedy-drama film based on the 2005 documentary References General Category:Parliamentary elections in Bolivia Bolivia Category:Presidential elections in Bolivia