Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

New Bolivia constitution takes effect

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Bolivia's new constitution, which gives more power to the country's indigenous majority, went into effect on Saturday. Announcing the event, President Evo Morales said it represented a new beginning for the country, and an earlier release by his office compared it to the Magna Carta. The new charter provides for redistribution of land and natural resource revenues, the creation of congressional seats reserved for indigenous representatives, and the institution of special courts for some indigenous communities. It also prohibits the posting of foreign military bases within the country and eliminates an existing one-term limit on Bolivian presidents. The new constitution had been strongly opposed in regions where more voters own land or are of European descent, but was nevertheless approved in a national referendum in January. In October 2008, the Bolivian National Congress ratified the proposed reforms after Morales agreed not to run for re-election in 2014. In August 2008, Morales won a confidence referendum, which he personally proposed in a bid to legitimize his campaign for the constitutional changes.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 08, 2009 (boomark / email).