Over 80% of Bolivian Political Groups May Lose Legal Status After Subnational Elections

A significant portion of Bolivia's political landscape faces potential upheaval as over 80% of citizen organizations may lose their legal status. This comes after failing to meet the minimum 3% vote requirement in the recent subnational elections held in March.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) is currently undertaking a technical evaluation of the election results. President of the TSE, Gustavo Ávila, indicated that between 80% and 85% of these organizations are at risk of losing their legal standing. The final determination is anticipated by August.

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Between 80 and 85%

Article 58 of the Law on Political Organizations stipulates that any organization failing to achieve 3% of valid votes in an election will forfeit its legal personhood. Ávila explained that the Electoral Body is awaiting official reports from the nine departmental electoral tribunals to meticulously review each group's performance. The analysis will consider the specific municipalities where each organization presented candidates and their respective outcomes, acknowledging that some participated in only one or two municipalities, necessitating individual assessments.

Ávila attributed this widespread potential loss of legal status to the high concentration of votes observed in various regions. He cited examples where a single political force secured between 80% and 90% of the vote in certain municipalities, significantly diminishing the chances for other groups to surpass the legal threshold. The review process is also expected to inform potential adjustments to electoral regulations.

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We are doing a technical job, but I believe that by August we will have the final determination for all of Bolivia on which political organizations will lose their legal status.