August 04, 2005

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Scan) - Former head of state Jorge Quiroga is still the top contender in Bolivia's presidential race, according to a poll by Apoyo, Opinión y Mercado published in La Razón. 22 per cent of respondents would vote for Quiroga, up five points since June.

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Former head of state Jorge Quiroga is still the top contender in Bolivia's presidential race, according to a poll by Apoyo, Opinión y Mercado published in La Razón. 22 per cent of respondents would vote for Quiroga, up five points since June.

Samuel Doria Medina of the National Unity Front (FUN) is second with 16 per cent, followed by indigenous leader Evo Morales of the Movement to Socialism (MAS) with 15 per cent. Support is lower for Chamber of Deputies speaker Hormando Vaca Díez, New Republican Force (NFR) leader Manfred Reyes, former president Jaime Paz Zamora and Juan Carlos Durán of the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR).

In June, a series of demonstrations calling for the nationalization of the hydrocarbon industry and constitutional amendments forced the resignation of interim president Carlos Mesa. Former chief justice of the Supreme Court Eduardo Rodríguez became the country's head of state, promising to hold a presidential election before the end of the year.

On Jul. 6, Rodríguez signed a decree to schedule a presidential and legislative ballot for Dec. 4, following the passage of the electoral timetable by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. A constituent assembly and a referendum on the current division of powers would take place in July 2006.

Quiroga acted as the South American country's president from August 2001 to August 2002, taking over after Hugo Banzer resigned due to health reasons.

On Jul. 8, Quiroga officially launched his candidacy, declaring, "The real challenge is to develop a permanent project, where people will have to choose between the rule of law and the persistence of anomaly."

Polling Data

If these candidates ran for president, which one would you support?

	Jul. 2005	Jun. 2005
Jorge Quiroga	22%	17%
Samuel Doria Medina	16%	16%
Evo Morales	15%	14%
Hormando Vaca Díez	4%	--
Manfred Reyes	3%	5%
Jaime Paz Zamora	3%	3%
Juan Carlos Durán	3%	3%

Source: Apoyo, Opinión y Mercado / La Razón
Methodology: Interviews to 1,016 adult Bolivians in La Paz, El Alto, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, conducted from Jul. 11 to Jul. 21, 2005. Margin of error is 3.5 per cent.