La Paz, Dec 4 (Prensa Latina) A hundred academics and experts from universities and research centers in several countries signed a statement urging the Organization of American States (OAS) to respect Bolivia's democratic institutions and processes.
The open letter came in response to the OAS' role in the coup against Evo Morales' government, following the issuing of a statement the day after the polls closed on October 20, which called Bolivian authorities into question and indicated there was electoral fraud.
The day after the elections, the OAS Electoral Observation Mission in Bolivia issued a statement expressing 'its deep concern and surprise at the drastic and hard-to-explain change in the trend of the preliminary results revealed after the closing of the polls.'
However, academics and experts from universities in the United States, Australia, India, Brazil, Germany, Spain, among others, point out that the OAS delegates did not present any evidence to support their statements, which were repeated by the political opposition and media and assumed as proof of electoral fraud.
The signatories of the letter point out that the election data easily shows that 'the change in Morales' lead was neither 'drastic' nor 'hard to explain.' There was a pause in the 'quick count' of the vote results ? when 84 percent of the votes were counted ? and Morales' lead was at 7.9 percentage points. At 95 percent, his margin had increased to just over 10 percent, which allowed Morales to win in the first round, without a runoff. By the end, the official count showed a lead of 10.6 percent.'
According to the signatories, the explanation for the increase in Morales lead is simple: 'the later-reporting areas were more pro-Morales than earlier-reporting areas.'
'We call upon the OAS to retract its misleading statements about the election, which have contributed to the political conflict and served as one of the most-used 'justifications' for the military coup,' the text notes.
The fabrication of the fraud caused an institutional crisis in Bolivia, which culminated in the resignation under duress of Morales, following demands by country's military leadership, on November 10.
rly/cg/sus/rgh/avs
The day after the elections, the OAS Electoral Observation Mission in Bolivia issued a statement expressing 'its deep concern and surprise at the drastic and hard-to-explain change in the trend of the preliminary results revealed after the closing of the polls.'
However, academics and experts from universities in the United States, Australia, India, Brazil, Germany, Spain, among others, point out that the OAS delegates did not present any evidence to support their statements, which were repeated by the political opposition and media and assumed as proof of electoral fraud.
The signatories of the letter point out that the election data easily shows that 'the change in Morales' lead was neither 'drastic' nor 'hard to explain.' There was a pause in the 'quick count' of the vote results ? when 84 percent of the votes were counted ? and Morales' lead was at 7.9 percentage points. At 95 percent, his margin had increased to just over 10 percent, which allowed Morales to win in the first round, without a runoff. By the end, the official count showed a lead of 10.6 percent.'
According to the signatories, the explanation for the increase in Morales lead is simple: 'the later-reporting areas were more pro-Morales than earlier-reporting areas.'
'We call upon the OAS to retract its misleading statements about the election, which have contributed to the political conflict and served as one of the most-used 'justifications' for the military coup,' the text notes.
The fabrication of the fraud caused an institutional crisis in Bolivia, which culminated in the resignation under duress of Morales, following demands by country's military leadership, on November 10.
rly/cg/sus/rgh/avs
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