Morales still president after Bolivian referendum: exit polls

1 hour ago

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AFP) — Bolivian President Evo Morales looks likely to keep his job after winning majority support in a recall referendum on Sunday, exit polls suggested.

The polls, by Captura Consulting and the commercial television station ATB, both said he garnered 60 percent of valid ballots, with 40 percent against.

ATB's figure was an upwards revision of its initial calculation of 56.7 percent.

If confirmed by official results, the outcome would fall in line with pre-poll surveys that highlighted Morales's support among the indigenous Bolivians who make up 60 percent of the country's population of 10 million.

Morales, a former coca farmer who became Bolivia's first indigenous president in 2006, called the referendum in a bid to weaken a coalition of opposition governors challenging his socialist reforms.

The plebiscite asked voters to pass judgement on eight of the country's nine governors, as well as that of Morales.

But the initial forecasts showed that attempt may have had little to no success.

Three of Morales's foes -- governors Ruben Costas of Santa Cruz state, Ernesto Suarez of Beni state, and Mario Cossio of Tarija state -- won overwhelming local support, according to the ATB exit poll.

It credited them with 71 percent, 68 percent and 65 percent, respectively.

Two opposition governors, Jose-Luis Paredes of La Paz and Manfred Reyes of Cochabamba state, were seen as having been ousted with 55 percent and 57 percent of ballots against them, respectively.

But so too was one of just two pro-Morales governors, Mario Virreyra of Oruru state.

The other, Mario Virreyra of Potosi state, received a projected 76 percent.

Exit polls results for the opposition governor of Pando state, Leopoldo Fernandez, were not immediately available.