Bolivian president leads march for new constitution
21/10/2008 17:30
Bolivian President Evo Morales yesterday joined the last part of a massive
march to the country's capital La Paz to press Congress to call a referendum on
his proposed constitution.
According to information reaching in Lima from La
Paz, the week-long march, organized by the country's National Coordinator for
the Change (Conalcam) and supporters of Morales, was launched by the president
himself on Oct. 13 in the western city of Caracollo.
The march, taking place
on the highway that connected Oruro and La Paz, is to cover a total distance of
199kms from Caracollo to La Paz.
The constitution proposed by Morales, which
was approved by parliament in December, is expected to give the country's
indigenous more rights and financial benefits.
The opposition is vehemently
against a referendum needed to turn the draft constitution into law, saying the
document does not meet their demand for greater autonomy in the
opposition-controlled eastern provinces.
Congress's failure to pass the
referendum is also attributable to the conflicting opinions of the ruling party
and the opposition, over the reelection of the president which is to be included
in the new constitution.
The opposition wants Morales's term to be counted
from January 2006 when he took office, thus, it will expire in 2011.
The
ruling party insists the president's first administration should be counted from
the general election in 2009, which will allow Morales to rule till
2020.
Yesterday's march began at around 07:00 local time (1200 GMT) from
Achica Arriba, some 25 kms from the capital. More and more people joined the
march as it proceeded.
The protestors include people living in Caracollo,
Aymara natives from Huarina, coca growers from the region of Los Yungas, as well
as students and workers.
"This new constitution favors our people, because it
will give us the possibility of owning lands to work on them," said Robin
Rivero, a Tacana native.
"Just a few people occupy a great amount of land
while thousands of Bolivians (are) without that right," Rivero added.
Ramiro
Galindo, president of the Coordinator of the Ethnic People from Santa Cruz, said
that "this march will continue till (we) arrive at La Paz and the protestors
will stay there till the referendum is approved."
"Nobody could refuse the
historical demand of all the Bolivian people gathering in the march," Galindo
said.
Among the protestors are also some workers from Argentina and Brazil,
who support the political process in Bolivia.
Groups of Bolivian and Cuban
doctors can be seen among the protestors. They have been marching to help out in
any emergencies.
The protesters are waving three-color flags, wiphalas (a
regional emblem) and posters demanding the approval of the new
constitution.
The massive march is to arrive at La Paz at 14:40 local time
(1949 GMT).
An agreement between the ruling party and the opposition will be
announced a few minutes after the march reaches its destination.
According to
the agreement, the general election to renew the country's executive and
legislative power will be held in the first two weeks of 2009.
Nearby schools
have been closed during the march.
Xinhua
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