Bolivia; electoral rights; electoral reforms; constitution; civic rights; minorities; external voting; democratic transition; droit de vote; bolivie; transition démocratique
Abstract :
[en] The issue of passive and active electoral rights in Bolivia has gone
through various phases that are examined in details in this article. Universal suffrage in Bolivia occurred around the same time as
in most states in that region: in the middle of the 20th century. The next wave of reforms
occurred during the 1980s when dictatorships were removed from power. At that time,
processes of democratization intensified in Bolivia and other parts of Latin America,
eventually leading to the progressive strengthening of democratic institutions.
It is really during the 1990s and early 2000s that the most important democratic
transformations occurred. Major institutional reforms were passed during this period in
particular to increase the participation of women and indigenous peoples in public
affairs. The inclusion of the principles of gender equality and interculturality in the new
constitution of 2009 is one of the clearest sign of this new approach. Similarly, another
sector of the Bolivian population that had been traditionally prevented from exercising
political rights. that is, Bolivians residing abroad have been closely attended to by the
Evo Morales government since 2006. After the first external voting experience in 2009,
the system was once again reformed to enable greater participation from abroad in the
2014 presidential election. These elements confirm that the extension of political rights
in Bolivia is a process that has gone trough major changes over the past two decades but
remains a work in process.
Research Center/Unit :
Centre d'Études de l'Ethnicité et des Migrations - CEDEM
Disciplines :
Political science, public administration & international relations Sociology & social sciences
Author, co-author :
Zegada, Maria Teresa
Lafleur, Jean-Michel ; Université de Liège > Institut des sciences humaines et sociales > Centre d'études de l'ethnicité et des migrations (CEDEM)