Bolivia is a presidential republic with a rather unstable history. Since it gained independence, the country has experienced more than 200 changes of government. The president is elected for four years and cannot be re-elected immediately. The parliament consists of two chambers and is located in La Paz. The country is divided into nine administrative districts (departamentos) as well as provinces and cantons.

On August 6, 2001, President Banzer, who was elected in 1997, resigned for health reasons. His vice president Quiroga then became president. On June 30, 2002, presidential and parliamentary elections were held and the results were unexpectedly close. The MNR (Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario, centre-right) received 22.46 percent, the MAS (the party of the coca farmers under Evo Morales) 20.94 percent of the votes cast and the MIR (Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionario, left reform) 20.92 percent. Following long negotiations, the MNR formed a coalition with the smaller MIR under the new president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada (MNR). In August 2003, the NFR (Nueva Fuerza Republicana) also joined the coalition.

 

The Bolivian government then planned to export natural gas to Mexico and the United States. It was hoping to earn USD 1.5bn per year. But trade unions and representatives of the indigenous population demanded that the natural gas be used for the good of the Bolivians themselves. They thought that the processing and use of the resources within the country would bring greater financial benefit to the people of Bolivia. This led to violent clashes during the course of which approximately 25 people died. Public life collapsed with banks and shops remaining closed.

During his second term as president, Sanchez de Lozada (1993-1997; August 2002-October 2003) promised to negotiate with the proponents of keeping the natural gas resources within the country and not to export any for the time being. The calls for his resignation, which had already come from his opponents, were then also heard among his own party members. Finally, he resigned on December 17, 2003. His vice president Carlos Mesa was his successor.

In general, the government considers the integration of the indigenous population as well as the fight against corruption and illegal coca growing in the Yungas and in Chapare Province as its major tasks.

The Battle against Illegal Coca Farming
The Bolivian government is fighting to stop illegal coca growing on the basis of the 'Plan Dignidad', which was worked out together with the United States. In February 2001, the government declared Chapre, the traditional growing area for coca, a drug-free zone after destroying an illegal growing area of 15,300 ha in 1999 and another 7,500 ha in 2000/2001.

Evo Morales is the leader of the coca farmers and founder of the 'movement towards socialism' (MAS). Surprisingly, the party received the second largest number of votes in the presidential elections of 2002. Thus, Morales became the leader of the opposition and is now calling for an increase in the legal growing area of coca.

His popularity derives from the fact that he was denied his mandate when he called for civil unrest. In the last election he refused to participate in a debate on the presidential candidates. He would rather deal with the real government - the American embassy -, he argued. The offended government reacted by immediate intensifying its fight against coca growing.
R.F.