Bolivia heads to presidential run-off as MAS ends two-decade rule

La Paz [Bolivia], August 18 : Bolivia is heading to a presidential run-off between a Centrist and Right-wing candidate, marking the end of nearly two decades of government by the Movement for Socialism (MAS), the country's electoral council said.

With more than 91 per cent of ballots counted on Sunday night, preliminary results showed centrist Rodrigo Paz of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) leading with 32.8 per cent of the vote. Conservative former interim President Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, of the Alianza Libre coalition, trailed in second place with 26.4 per cent, meaning he will face Paz in a run-off on October 19. Candidates needed to surpass 50 per cent, or 40 per cent with a 10-point margin, to avoid a run-off.

Al Jazeera's Latin America editor Lucia Newman, reporting from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, said the early results confirmed that MAS, which has governed Bolivia since 2005, is "out of the picture".

Newman added that the "biggest surprise" is "that the frontrunner is none other than somebody who was polling between fourth and fifth place up until now". She also noted that Paz is "more to the centre" than his father, former President Jaime Paz.

Eight presidential candidates were in the running, spanning the far-right to the political left. Pre-election polls had suggested Samuel Doria Medina, a wealthy businessman and former planning minister, as one of two frontrunners alongside Quiroga. Former leftist President Evo Morales was barred from running, and outgoing socialist President Luis Arce, who had fallen out with Morales, opted out of the race, Al Jazeera reported.

The division within the leftist coalition, coupled with Bolivia's deep economic crisis, meant few expected MAS to return to power. Official results are expected within seven days. Voters will also elect all 26 senators and 130 deputies, with officials assuming office on November 8.

Bolivia is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, with annual inflation of almost 25 percent and critical shortages of US dollars and fuel. Citizens have protested long queues for fuel, bread, and other essentials ahead of the election, Al Jazeera reported.

Under Morales, Bolivia enjoyed over a decade of strong growth and Indigenous upliftment, with gas sector nationalisation funding social programmes that halved extreme poverty between 2006 and 2019. However, gas revenues have dropped from $6.1bn in 2013 to $1.6bn last year due to a lack of new projects. With lithium still largely unexploited, the government faces a shortage of foreign exchange needed to import fuel, wheat, and other foodstuffs.

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