Yesterday Susan Hu posted here on the front page
http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2005/6/9/8413/95718
about the very shaky political situation in Bolivia. Today, according to the BBC World News, it sounds like things have taken a turn for the better:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4079440.stm
President Carlos Mesa has resigned, and the next in line of succession, Senate Speaker Hormando Vaca Diez, has also declined the post, which is significant, since he was claiming the post yesterday.
So the head of Bolivia’s Supreme Court, Eduardo Rodriguez, has now accepted the Presidency: “His inauguration and the prospect of an election was hailed by protesters, who have been holding daily demonstrations and blockades since last month. “Bolivia deserves better days,” Mr Rodriguez told deputies. “I am convinced that one of my tasks will be to begin an electoral process to renew and continue building a democratic system that is more just.” Under the constitution, an election must be held be held by the end of the year.”
This sounds like good news to me…anyone else know the details of this development?
Here’s some more info, from Reuters:
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-06-10T090001Z_01_N10608
361_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-BOLIVIA-DC.XML
“Rodriguez, takes over the presidency of a country polarized between indigenous movements demanding more power and wealthy regional provinces pressing for more independence.
The new president, a lawyer with a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, is an interim leader who is required by the constitution to call elections later this year.”
<snip>
“Lawmakers, who abandoned earlier attempts to vote on the new president amid violent protests, held a brief late-night session after Senate President Hormando Vaca Diez and the leader of the lower house of Congress both declined to assume the presidency.
The constitution allowed Vaca Diez to replace Mesa, but he faced growing opposition from Indian leaders and many Bolivians who saw him as representative of a failed traditional political class.
“Hopefully this decision will help pacify the country,” Mesa said as he left the presidential palace. “I apologize to the country, but I did my best.” reuters