December 05, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fewer Bolivians are expressing satisfaction with the performance of their head of state, according to a poll by Ipsos Apoyo, Opinión y Mercado. 52 per cent of respondents approve of Evo Morales’ performance, down 10 points since October.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Fewer Bolivians are expressing satisfaction with the performance of their head of state, according to a poll by Ipsos Apoyo, Opinión y Mercado. 52 per cent of respondents approve of Evo Morales’ performance, down 10 points since October.

Morales—an indigenous leader and former coca-leaf farmer—won the December 2005 presidential election as the candidate for the Movement to Socialism (MAS), with 53.7 per cent of the vote. He officially took over as Bolivia’s head of state in January 2006 and vowed to "re-found Bolivia" by enacting a new constitution.

In August 2006, the National Constituent Assembly—an elected ad-hoc body tasked with re-writing the country’s constitution—held its first session. The assembly was supposed to sit for just one year, but it has failed to present a final document. When ready, the proposed body of law must be approved by two-thirds of the 255 lawmakers, and then ratified in a nationwide referendum.

On Nov. 24, a draft constitution was approved inside a military base in the vicinity of Sucre, with the support of all pro-government assembly members. Three people died and 20 more were injured during protests staged by the opposition to complain about the change of venue. The proposed draft includes articles that allow for consecutive presidential re-election, the creation of 36 autonomous indigenous communities, and tighter government controls over private media outlets.

On Dec. 2, Morales dismissed the possibility of requesting the assistance of Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the event the proposed constitution cannot be ratified, saying, "This is our problem. There is no reason to have an external mediator. (...) We are going to have a new constitution on Dec. 15, with every single detail approved, and hopefully, with the opposition."

MAS members currently hold 142 of the National Constituent Assembly’s 255 seats. The proposed draft requires the support of at least 170 legislators to be ratified.

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Evo Morales’ performance as president?

	Nov. 2007	Oct. 2007	Sept. 2007
Approve	52%	62%	59%
Disapprove	42%	34%	37%

Source: Ipsos Apoyo, Opinión y Mercado
Methodology: Interviews with 1,022 Bolivian adults in La Paz, El Alto, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, conducted from Nov. 12 to Nov. 18, 2007. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.