The Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, called on “political stakeholders in Bolivia and society in general to promote a peaceful atmosphere to allow the Departmental Courts to conduct business and continue their work under favorable conditions. Respect for the vote counting process and the results of the election will lead to a redoubling of citizen trust in the electoral process, a fundamental question that has brought back legitimacy to the democratic political process in Bolivia.”

He added, “The elections in Bolivia have been affirmed as the main way for citizens to express their preferences and for political stakeholders to work out their differences. The role carried out by the National Electoral Court and the Departmental Courts, the implementation of the State’s New Political Constitution, the electoral process agreed on by the various party organizations, the institution of a biometric registry, all activities in which the OAS has been present and has accompanied and supported Bolivian institutions, have been fundamental contributors to the elections becoming the principal mechanism for the resolution of disagreements.”

Finally, Secretary General Insulza pointed out that the OAS, through its Electoral Observation Mission, continues to follow this process, maintaining its presence in departments where political organizations have expressed concern for irregularities. “The Mission of the OAS is to be present in the country until the National Electoral Court releases the results of the process,” he said.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-112/10