Vote count concerns in Bolivia

An observer from the European Union has shared the concerns of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) about the rapid count system for the Bolivian general elections, scheduled for Sunday.

Following a meeting of international observers with MAS presidential candidate Luis Arce and vice-president David Choquehuanca, observer María Teresa Mola Sainz said the previous TREP (Transmission of Preliminary Results) system, used in the 2019 elections, was better and more reliable.

She questioned the presence of the military in the process as custodians of electoral material and the transfer of ballots.  "I'm quite worried about it," she said.

Coincidentally, the MAS also expressed surprise at the change in the TREP system, in a communication to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) in which it asked for information and clarification on various doubts about the process.

On the other hand, Arce and Choquehuanca presented to the foreign observer missions the quick count system that MAS will use on Sunday in parallel to the TSE, for the purpose of transparency and to neutralize possible fraud.

At the meeting, the MAS Directorate for Electoral Control showed observers the quick count method that will report in real time, based on photographs of the electoral records.

In addition, the candidate for the Presidency of Bolivia for the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), Luis Arce, from his official account on the social network Twitter, presented this Friday a denunciation for political persecution against leaders of social movements.

"We denounce that the political and judicial persecution against the representatives of social organizations continues in Bolivia," stated Arce, referring to the arrest of the neighborhood leader of the city of El Alto, Ernesto Quispe, who was taken to prison in the early hours of this Thursday.

Ernesto Quispe is accused by the de facto government of Jeanine Áñez for having committed alleged terrorist activities.