More presidential candidates

08.24.2005

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A few more candidates for Bolivia's December presidential elections were announced. MIR will participate (against the objections of its leader, Jaime Paz Zamora) w/ a slate headed by Hormando Vaca Díez. Paz Zamora had encouraged the party to skip the presidential contest & focus on the prefecture elections (to solidify its regional base). Paz Zamora is, however, expected to run for prefect of Tarija, the country's oil & gas rich department.

Vaca Díez's first announcement was a request for the CNE (National Electoral Court) to allow his party to use the name "MIR-A" (the "A" for autonomías).

The candidate list that vaguely troubles me, however, is the civil-military slate of TRADEPA (Transparencia Democrática Patriótica). They're led by ex defense minister, General Víctor Gemio. There's nothing inherently wrong w/ military officers taking part in electoral politics. But this is, after all, Latin America. There's just something unsettling about active-duty members of the officer corp actively campaigning in the contest for commander-in-chief.

Posted by Miguel at 10:49 AM

Comments

"commander-in-chief"? Is that another label for president?

I thought it does make sense, to have someone with a military background step up, soooner or later, given the fragile democracy that Bolivia's been facing.

Posted by: Stephanie at August 24, 2005 09:44 PM

Yes, the president is also the commander-in-chief of Bolivia's armed forces. And I have no problem w/ a military officer serving as president. But the history of Latin American caudillos (military strong men) is a tourturous one (think Pinochet, Peron, Stroessner); this is also true of Bolivia.

But what's most troubling is that active duty officers are engaged in active political campaigning (raising money, providing candidates, etc). Only months ago, two colonels tried an abortive coup against Mesa. In February 2003, police officers led a mutiny/coup (their leader, Mayor Vargas is now a popular figure in some circles & known as "my comandante").

What would happen if active officers don't like the electoral outcome? If their candidates don't win? There's a reason why US military officers avoid politics, until they're no longer in active duty. The subordination of the military-as-institution to civilian control is considered too sacred to violate by politicizing the military. That's what I worry about.

Posted by: Miguel [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 24, 2005 10:10 PM