Evo finally gets round to posting the letter that's been on his desk for days
Early exit polls have "yes" at between 60% and 62% of the total vote, ("no" at 39% to 40%) so even if this referendum doesn't follow the pattern of previous Bolivian votes and the final score is higher than the early exit polls, Evo wins comfortably.
As for the opposition, by some amazing coincidence they all used the same fraud accusations when they went to vote.
Mario Cossio of Tarjia: "If there isn't fraud we are sure that there will be no doubt about the result."
Samuel Dorina of Unidad National: "I've asked around all the capital and provincial cities and I believe there will be a clear mesage and a surprise from a population that doesn't want experiments, doesn't want to risk its property, doesn't want to put justice at risk in Bolivia; yes it wants change but with liberty. (The majority has voted NO and) this has made the President, the Vice-President and their ministers nervous."
Branco Marinkovic: "(Bolivians have voted) without the guarantee of a transparent electoral process in the midst of a panorama of fraud; double carnetization and double registration of voters by this government with the financial help of Venezuela means nothing less than that. Be careful with your vote because there will be fraud, and ask eveeryone to be on the alert, as the audit of the lamentable OAS (Organization of American States, official overseers of the vote) is just a show and doesn't mean anything."
As for the opposition, by some amazing coincidence they all used the same fraud accusations when they went to vote.
Mario Cossio of Tarjia: "If there isn't fraud we are sure that there will be no doubt about the result."
Samuel Dorina of Unidad National: "I've asked around all the capital and provincial cities and I believe there will be a clear mesage and a surprise from a population that doesn't want experiments, doesn't want to risk its property, doesn't want to put justice at risk in Bolivia; yes it wants change but with liberty. (The majority has voted NO and) this has made the President, the Vice-President and their ministers nervous."
Branco Marinkovic: "(Bolivians have voted) without the guarantee of a transparent electoral process in the midst of a panorama of fraud; double carnetization and double registration of voters by this government with the financial help of Venezuela means nothing less than that. Be careful with your vote because there will be fraud, and ask eveeryone to be on the alert, as the audit of the lamentable OAS (Organization of American States, official overseers of the vote) is just a show and doesn't mean anything."
Against all this obvious bullshit, here's Bolivia's Veep Alvaro García Linera: "It's natural that the losers try to hide their catastrophic defeat." And the Axis of Evo himself said: "Those who feel defeated will now say that there has been fraud, in their agony and defeat. When they feel their defeat they will try and ignore he result."
So what does Rober Malaver, Argentine head of the OAS neutral observers in Bolivia say?
Nuff said.
UPDATE: Check out El Gaviero, blogging in English as it happens from the opposition stronghold Santa Cruz city.
Also Blog From Bolivia is live from Cochabamba with updates that include:
"........It is doubtful that MAS opponents, especially if they lose as expected, will drop their charges of pressure on voters. But if they believe that Morales support in the rural areas of the country is manufactured rather than valid, they haven't spent much time talking to people in the countryside."
So what does Rober Malaver, Argentine head of the OAS neutral observers in Bolivia say?
"The vote happened with absolute normality, transparency, control and participation."
Nuff said.
UPDATE: Check out El Gaviero, blogging in English as it happens from the opposition stronghold Santa Cruz city.
Also Blog From Bolivia is live from Cochabamba with updates that include:
"........It is doubtful that MAS opponents, especially if they lose as expected, will drop their charges of pressure on voters. But if they believe that Morales support in the rural areas of the country is manufactured rather than valid, they haven't spent much time talking to people in the countryside."