La Paz [Bolivia], November 10: Bolivia's constitutional court has barred former President Evo Morales from running again for elected office, preventing him from contesting next year's presidential election.
The ruling, made public on Friday, also reaffirms a 2023 court order that a president cannot serve more than two terms, whether consecutive or not, and "without the possibility of extending it to a third term".
Bolivia's first Indigenous president, Morales led the country from 2006 to 2019 and was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term. The leftist won that vote but was forced to resign in 2019 amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud and fled the country.
He returned after his former ally Luis Arce won the presidency in 2020. But since then, the two men have struggled for control over the governing party, Movement Toward Socialism (MAS).
The constitutional court's ruling came in response to a parliamentarian's request to clarify doubts about its December 2023 decision. It also comes about a month into protests by Morales's supporters, who have blocked roads, taken soldiers hostage and called for Arce to resign. Political tensions have further intensified in recent weeks after Morales accused the government of attempted assassination in late October. (Agencies)
Source: Qatar Tribune