Bolivia votes on new constitution
LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivians voted on a new constitution on Sunday that would give the indigenous majority more political leverage and allow socialist President Evo Morales to run for re-election.
Morales is taking a cue from leftists Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Rafael Correa of Ecuador, who have changed their countries' constitutions to extend their rule, tackle inequalities and exert greater state control over the economy.
Polls before the vote showed about 55 percent of Bolivians back the constitution, with support highest in the western highlands where Indians are a majority, while many mixed-race people in the fertile eastern lowlands reject the charter.
"This is the only way to change our country, starting with respect for the majority we will have justice," said Panfilo Choque, 37, an artisan who voted in a poor district of La Paz, the administrative capital that sits high in the Andes.
Morales, an Aymara Indian who herded llamas as a boy, has boosted government revenues by nationalizing energy, mining and telephone companies since taking office three years ago.
As Bolivia's first indigenous leader, he says the constitution is the cornerstone of his plan to tilt the balance of power in favour of Bolivian Indians after centuries of discrimination.
"It's a historic day for democracy -- the first time a new constitution is being voted on by all Bolivians," Morales said after voting in Chapare, where his political career started as an organizer of coca growers.
Most Bolivians describe themselves as indigenous but politics and business have long been dominated by a small elite with European roots.
If approved, the charter will enshrine the Aymara moral code as the state's ethical principal: "ama qhilla, ama llulla, ama suwa" ("Don't be lazy, don't be a liar, don't be a thief.")
MORE POWER
Right-wing leaders say the charter, which aims to increase the number of indigenous lawmakers, could make it easier for Morales' party to gain control of both legislative chambers, giving him almost unfettered power.
If the constitution is ratified, there will be an early presidential election in December that could give Morales another five years in office. If it fails, he would leave office at the end of his term in 2011.
Conservative politicians have criticized the charter for embracing indigenous faiths and guaranteeing freedom of religion in a country where the Roman Catholic Church is strong.
Critics say the constitution is an attempt by Morales to lift up his Indian power base and not the country as a whole.
"There are good things in the constitution, but I voted 'no' to prevent the so-called majority from getting unlimited power," said Gigi Pinar, a homemaker in La Paz.
The constitution says the state should have a commanding role over the management of natural resources -- from rich natural gas deposits to vast tracts of agricultural land in a country where farmers have mobilized to prevent their farms from being broken up and handed over to the poor.
Morales' proposals also include a cap on the size of future large landholdings, but existing ranches would not be affected by that limit after the draft constitution was modified under pressure from the opposition.
Right-wing opponents in the east say the charter gives them too little autonomy from the central government. Their push for more autonomy led to violent protests last year.
"A lot of important things are in play for the future of our country," said Ruben Costas, governor of opposition stronghold Santa Cruz, who urged voters to reject the charter. He also said fraud was likely, an allegation electoral officials dismissed.
(Additional reporting by Diego Ore in Chapare; Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Kieran Murray)