First Agreement Reached to Launch Partial Reform of Bolivia's Constitution

Bolivian lawmakers have reached an initial political agreement to begin a partial reform of the country's Constitution. Senate President Diego Ávila and opposition legislator Carlos Alarcón formally presented the bill after securing support from representatives of different forces in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

"I have reached an agreement, a commitment between the different blocs to promote the constitutional reform process," Ávila said. He said the initiative would bring together earlier proposals and open debate on the justice system, the economic model, regional autonomy, the political system and relations among the branches of government.

The Senate will consider the proposal first. Alarcón said the chamber was the appropriate starting point because one of the main issues involves redistributing powers between autonomous authorities, while the Senate represents Bolivia's nine departments. If approved, the bill would move to the Chamber of Deputies.

Both chambers would then meet in a joint session of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly. The measure would need two-thirds support from legislators present before going to a constitutional referendum. Alarcón said the referendum could take place within four months of legislative approval.

The bill proposes removing constitutional status from 30 articles, allowing their provisions to be regulated, amended or replaced through qualified laws approved by a two-thirds majority. The articles cover the election of judges, the Council of the Magistracy, the Constitutional Tribunal, the Public Prosecutor's Office, investment, natural resources, hydrocarbons, mining, water and energy.

One central aim is to end the popular election of senior judicial authorities and replace it with a merit-based selection process. The proposal would also give lawmakers one year after any reform took effect to approve the structural and sector-specific laws replacing the provisions removed from the Constitution.

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I have reached an agreement, a commitment between the different blocs to promote the constitutional reform process.