OAS supports dialogue to resolve Bolivian crisis
22/9/2008 16:35
The Organization of American States (OAS) yesterday reiterated its support
for settling the Bolivian political crisis through dialogue, said reports from
Santiago, the Chilean capital.
The political tension in Bolivia, if allowed
to continue, will only lead to a no-win situation, OAS Secretary General Jose
Miguel Insulza told Chilean media yesterday.
Dialogue is the only way to
stabilize the situation, said Insulza, who had been in Bolivia to help mediate
in the country's unrest.
Both the government of President Evo Morales and the
opposition groups have currently engaged in dialogue and negotiation in good
faith, said Insulza, adding he was optimistic that the talks could yield
substantial results.
Insulza said the OAS and all the south American
governments supported the ongoing dialogue, through which, they wished, an
agreement could be reached.
Morales started dialogue on Thursday with
opposition provincial governors in a bid to end the recent political crisis
which has plunged Bolivia into turmoil and left at least 30 people dead.
The
Morales government pledged to adopt a more flexible stance towards the
autonomies demanded by some opposition provinces.
However, the opposition
groups, which believed some issues related to the agreement remain
controversial, was reluctant to immediately sign the deal.
Tensions remained
high in Bolivia, as opposition protesters in recent weeks stormed government
buildings, blocked gas pipelines and battled with Morales's supporters in four
opposition-controlled provinces to seek more autonomy and protest government
policies.
Bolivia, a natural gas-rich country, has become increasingly
polarized in terms of economic development in recent years.
The more affluent
eastern provinces, home to most of Bolivia's natural gas reserves, have resisted
Morales' insistence that the central government control and distribute energy
profits, and have been seeking regional autonomy from the central
government.
In a national referendum in July 2007, about 57 percent of
Bolivian voters voted against autonomies of the country's wealthier
provinces.
Xinhua
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