On 15 December, judicial elections were held for members of the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Agro-Environmental Tribunal, and the Council of Magistrates. However, only 19 out of the 26 judgeships were on the ballots. The election of the remaining offices was postponed, after the Fourth Chamber of the Constitutional Court granted injunctions in the selection process of candidates for certain judicial offices in response to legal actions initiated by individuals who wished to stand as candidates. The magistrates of the Fourth Chamber were widely criticized, given that the injunctions resulted in the indefinite extension of their mandates, as their own offices were among those affected by the injunctions. Opposition politicians have also called this an attempt to retain power to favour the ruling party and persecute opponents. Participation was close to 70 per cent (voting is mandatory), with a high percentage of spoiled and blank ballots at 37 per cent. Out of a total of 19 elected judges, nine are women.

Sources: Órgano Electoral Plurinacional, Infobae, El Pais

On 14 November, a Chamber of the Constitutional Tribunal recognized Grover Garcia, an ally of President Luis Arce, as head of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) party. Division within MAS, stemming from a power struggle between former President Evo Morales and Arce, led the party to hold competing assemblies, one in which Morales was chosen as the party’s leader and a second in which ‘Arcistas’ gained leadership positions. The Chamber confirmed the validity of the assembly held by Arce loyalists, taking control of the party from its founder, Morales, despite previous rulings of the Electoral Tribunal that determined both factions had violated the party’s statutes. In a separate ruling it confirmed Morales’s ineligibility to run for president, vice-president or preside the legislature's chambers because he has exceeded the constitutional limit of 10 years as president. Demonstrations in support of Morales continued, with some reports of violence and with Morales temporarily going on hunger strike. Whether Morales continues to call for mobilizations and to seek elected office, remains to be seen.

Sources: Educación Radiofónica de Bolivia, La Razón, El Pais

Former President Evo Morales has accused the government of attempting to assassinate him after his vehicle was attacked with gunfire in Cochabamba. Luis Arce’s government refuted this, contending that Morales’s vehicle evaded a checkpoint established in a police operation and ran over a police officer. Officials asserted that police at the checkpoint were shot first by someone in Morales’s vehicle. The mutual accusations take place in the context of heightened political and social conflict due to division within the MAS party. Both Morales and Arce have been accused of sexual misconduct and crimes; both deny the allegations and claim they are politically motivated. A prosecutor issued an arrest warrant against Morales after he did not comply with an order to give a statement in an investigation he faces for statutory rape and trafficking in persons. Morales’s supporters have carried out roadblocks and organized protests against his prosecution. Clashes between protesters and police have left dozens injured. 

Sources: Infobae, Reuters, France 24, BBC, El Pais, The Guardian

On 13 August, electoral authorities published the date for judicial elections. On 1 December, after a year of delay, voters will be choosing members of the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, Agro-Environmental Tribunal, and members of the Council of Magistrates. This was facilitated on account of agreements between parliamentary groups, including opposition lawmakers who previously had objected to the election of judges by popular vote, but now are encouraging participation to end what they view as the arbitrary extension of terms of members of the judiciary. Lawmakers had been unable to decide on procedural issues related to the voting process and a list of candidates for all the judgeships that will be elected (26 in total), which required a two-thirds majority approval. The agreement also follows differences between the legislature and the judiciary over the legality of the extension of the terms of high court judges, and over the validity of the decisions taken by such judges after their original tenures expired.    

Sources: Órgano Electoral Plurinacional, Hoy Bolivia, El Deber, El Pais, International IDEA