Evo to Arce: “I accept open primaries (…) if I lose, I lose”; the Legislature and the Government reject the proposal

Former president and leader of the MAS, Evo Moraleschanged his position on the Primary election and He assured that he is willing to submit to open primaries and that, if he loses, he will resign his candidacy for the Presidency for the 2025 general elections.

However, parliamentarians of the Opposition, Arcists and the Government rejected Morales’ request and announced the approval of the bill that abolishes the Primarydue to the agreement that was signed with the Electoral Body.

“Seeing the economic situation, the democratic situation, I accept Lucho (Luis Arce, that the elections be held) Open primaries, all to save Bolivia (…) If I lose, I lose, because it is internal democracy, if the 10 parties unite against me, I have no problem. It is to provide democratic solutions,” said the coca grower leader.

Morales said he changed his mind due to the “serious economic situation of the country and to avoid a social upheaval,” a convulsion that, according to him, could be unleashed in the country if internal democracy of political parties is not prioritized. On July 10, Morales threatened to defend the closed primaries “in the streets and roads”.

The MAS politician’s offer is because, President Arce would agree with open primarieswhich is why he challenged her. However, the Government denied this.

While the leader of the MAS radicals makes this offer, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Israel Huaytari, called this Tuesday to the 153rd session of the Lower House, to discuss the bill on the “Exceptional and Transitional Regime of Primary Elections”“, raised by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) seeking to have the Legislature annul the primaries for the 2025 general elections.

He On July 10th, the members of the TSEpolitical parties, the Legislative and the Executive They signed the agreement “Declaration for Democracy” to abolish primaries this year, and to prioritize the judicial elections. The only one who did not sign, got up from his chair in the middle of the meeting and left upset, was precisely Evo Morales.

That time, the MAS politician He set two conditions to be part of that agreement: that the TSE validate and legalize the Lauca Ñ congress in which he was ratified as president of the MAS, or otherwise, that the TSE suspend the deadlines for political parties to renew their directives.

In both cases, Morales would remain in office as president of the MAS. The parties and the TSE rejected Evo’s conditions.

For the coca grower, the Government of Luis Arce, lost control to manage the economic crisis that the country faces and if we add to that the protests “in the streets and roads” of his social organizations, Bolivia would enter a pyramid of social upheavals, that he wants to avoid.

“If the 10 parties unite against me, I have no problem, (this opening) is to provide (a) democratic solution,” insisted Morales, adding that even if open primary elections are held, he has the support of more than a million MAS members, compared to less than a million members of the remaining 10 political parties.

“The advantage we have is that MAS-IPS alone has 1,079,000, the ten (remaining) parties have 993 thousand legally registered militants,” Morales said.

The second vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, Luisa Nayar (CC), pointed out that The priority in the Legislature is to deal with the bill sent by the TSE to eliminate the Primary elections and prioritize the Judicial elections, and that in that framework, there is no room for Morales’ “tantrums.”

“The Evismo is in full campaign, the Evismo is looking for an open fight with the Arcismo and is not interested in the country. We are not interested in Mr. Evo Morales’ tantrums, but rather to resolve the conflicts that we Bolivians have,” said Nayar.

Deputy Minister of Communication, Gabriela Alcón, reminded the MAS leader of the inter-institutional agreement signed on July 10, the same one that Morales did not sign because he did not get his “whim.” The State official assured that the Government seeks to guarantee the judicial elections.

The Arcist deputy Rosario García, pointed out that there is a constitutional ruling, 1010/2023, which disqualifies Evo Morales from being a candidateor the Presidency; therefore, he asked him to leave his arrogance behind and admit that he is no longer part of the electoral race for 2025.