Bolivian President Evo Morales and International IDEA's Secretary-General Vidar Helgesen in La Paz, Bolivia, October 2006
Bolivia has experienced significant social and political unrest in recent years, culminating in protests that led to the fall of the government of Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada in 2003 and the resignation of his successor, Carlos Mesa. Key issues in these protests were the use of natural resources, the marginalization of large sectors of the Bolivian electorate, especially indigenous people and peasant farmers, and departmental autonomy.
While the landslide election of President Evo Morales in December 2005, a referendum on autonomy and the opening of a Constituent Assembly to rewrite the country’s Constitution led to a new political scenario, the processes underway have underscored social and political fault lines between the resource-rich lowland departments and the largely poor highland regions of the country, as well as between the traditional political classes and parties and social movements. Those differences are threatening to undermine the Constituent Assembly process, making activities aimed at strengthening democracy in the Andean country all the more urgent.
Meanwhile, President Morales has been moving ahead to fulfill his campaign promise of nationalizing the country’s hydrocarbon resources and harnessing the revenues for development.
International IDEA began working in Bolivia in 2004, supporting the sharing of experiences, first on the “gas referendum” and later on issues aimed at fostering broader dialogue and consensus building. Through these activities, alliances have also been established with the National Electoral Court, the Andean Community of Nations, the National Democratic Institute, the Club de Madrid and the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
With the Constitutional Assembly so crucial to the development of democracy in Bolivia, International IDEA teamed up with the UNDP beginning in 2005 for the “Strengthening Democracy” Project to support political parties and other groups in developing proposals for constitutional reform. This joint programme is financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Spanish Agency for International Development (AECI). Since 2007, the Norwegian government and UN Democracy Fund also support IDEA’s work in Bolivia.
In October 2007 International IDEA opened an office in La Paz, Bolivia. Programming is carried out in partnership with UNDP.
Areas of Action:
Support for the Constitutional process.
Technical assistance for the Constitutional Process. The program sponsored activities aimed at providing technical assistance in preparation for the constituent assembly and continued this work during the workings of the assembly. The promotion of dialogue and political representation were critical sub-components in this area. Activities included a survey on public opinion and expectations about the Constituent Assembly, technical input on political reform for assembly delegates, and a European mission on constitutional reform and democratic dialogue. In addition, International IDEA has carried out a political and judicial analysis of the draft constitution which will be shared with key national and international actors during 2008 and is informing the Bolivian population about the history of their constitutions and the evolution of specific themes through a radio programme.
Sharing of international experiences on constitutional reform. The programme has facilitated international forums, seminars and exchange missions to share and discuss relevant aspects of constituent processes and autonomy regimes in various countries, including Colombia, Venezuela, Spain, South Africa, and Norway. The programme will continue to foster opportunities for international encounters for Bolivian political, social and regional leaders so they can learn from other countries’ experiences with systems of political representation, constitutional reform, autonomy and natural resources.
Renewal and strengthening of the political system
Strengthening of political organizations. This includes support for political party self-assessment and planning processes; training for political party leaders and members; technical assistance in developing political plans and programmes, especially those related to development; helping political parties enhance their capacity for communicating within their organizations and with civil society; and helping to enhance the performance of legislators and Constituent Assembly delegates.
Fostering political participation by women, youth and indigenous peoples. This involves programmes for building these groups’ skills so they can participate fully in the country’s political life. In addition, as the draft constitution includes many of the proposals made by Women Groups, International IDEA will be supporting the implementation of such proposals into the new legislation.
Support for reflection and decision making by key players. The programme will engage in research and publicize information about key issues on the public agenda, including political organization, representation and participation, and will create opportunities for dialogue on political issues among broad sectors of society.
Energy resources and poverty reduction
Support for the development of a national hydrocarbon strategy. The programme will support the development of a shared vision and national policies that make energy resources a tool for promoting human development and social cohesion and reducing poverty. This programme will help link the concept of revenue management to human development as measured by the Millennium Development Goals.
Fostering dialogue and debate on hydrocarbon policy. Activities will include creation of an energy round table, a business-labor round table and international workshops in which participants can share and learn from hydrocarbon management experiences in industrialized and less-developed countries.
Promoting transparency. This must be a cornerstone of effective energy resource management. The programme will coordinate with international bodies working on transparency in extractive industries and will create opportunities for learning from the experiences of other developing countries.
