The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) requires a single law to be able to distribute parliamentary seats based on the new demographic reality presented by the next population and housing census.
The member of the TSE Francisco Vargas, in a contact with EL DEBER, explained that this norm must be prepared by the TSE to send it to the Legislature. He specified that the official results are taken into account and that the institution is ready to start with the administrative and technical processes after the survey.
In fact, the census data has an impact on the distribution of the 130 seats in the Chamber of Deputies; 60 of which are elected precisely by population. The rest, 63 correspond to single-member circumscriptions and seven are special indigenous. Vargas explained that Article 146 of the Constitution establishes this mandate for the Electoral Body.
President Luis Arce approved on November 11 Decree 4824 with which he sets the date of the next census for March 23, 2024. The norm establishes that the distribution of co-participation economic resources will be made in September of that year, “ based on preliminary population results” which, precisely, will be obtained after the operation.
The norm does not refer to the distribution of seats. This data generated concern on several fronts. The Government, through the Minister of Planning, Sergio Cusicanqui, had to clarify that the “official population results” will be sent to the TSE until December 2024 so that the distribution of seats with the population data can be activated.
“We have been taking the forecasts; we have the Electoral Geography Unit, which is our specialized technical instance that will delimit the constituencies. We are prepared,” Vagas explained.
With this law enacted, the TSE proceeds to “redraw the electoral geography of the country” based on the population. Vargas anticipated that the unpopulated areas of the country may lose seats and constituencies must be reassigned. Always on the basis of 130 seats established in the Constitution.
TSE spokesperson Dina Chuquimia, in a statement to Radio Cepra, announced that the deadline for the redistribution of seats is April 2025, since the call is expected to be issued in May.
“We anticipate that the entire process and procedure between the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, whatever it takes in the Legislative Assembly, should conclude by April 2025, which will give us time to work on the call for national elections in 2025,” explained Dina Chuquimia.
To call the elections, the TSE must be clear about where the single-member candidates will be, taking into account that several regions of the country will lose representation due to the loss of population. In this framework, Santa Cruz and El Alto are expected to win among legislators. Mayor Eva Copa said that her municipality will have one more deputy.
Currently, La Paz has 29 deputies; Santa Cruz, 28; Cochabamba, 19; Potosi, 13; Chuquisaca, 10; Tarija, nine; Oruro, nine; Beni, eight; and Pando, five.
