Constitution of Bolivia - Drafting Process

Drafting Process

The Bolivian Gas War preceded the drafting process, the Gas War centred on the controversial decision of the National Revolutionary Movement (MNR) party to export Bolivian Gas through Chilean ports which had been taken by Chile in the Pacific War of the 1870s. The Gas War came to a head in October 2003 with violent protest throughout the country from various social actors, leaving at least 70 dead. The then President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada 'Goni' resigned and fled to the US. Goni was succeeded by Vice President Carlos Mesa who was forced to step down amid further widespread protest in El Alto, La Paz and Cochambamba in June 2005. This led to selection of judge Eduardo Rodriguez as head of a caretaker government which provided setting for new elections in December 2005. A number of new parties stepped into the political frame. Evo Morales' MAS party was elected and began implementing the 'October Agenda' a set of social movement demands stemming from The Gas War. The first of these tasks was to initiate a Constitutional Assembly to rewrite the constitution. The assembly comprised elected representatives from every region of the country. The Assembly failed to reach common agreement over various issues, including the rules of operation. Eventually having failed to reach an agreement in Sucre, amid often violent protest or else stalemate, Morales' MAS party were forced to retreat to Oruro to finalise the Constitution. The constitution was therefore further modified by an Editing Commission before, amidst much fanfare, Evo presided over the passage of the new Constitution on 14 December 2007. Because internationally and nationally this process was hardly considered democratic, the constitution was not considered legitimate though it provided some political stability to Bolivia. Therefore there was an ongoing process of renegotiation, this included Cochabamba Dialogue between the President and opposition Prefects in September 2008; and in Congress during negotiations for a referendum in October 2008.