Eisspeedway

1966 Bolivian general election

General elections were held in Bolivia on 3 July 1966.[1] René Barrientos of the Front of the Bolivian Revolution (FRB) was elected president with 67% of the vote,[2] whilst the FRB won a majority in both houses of Congress. James Dunkerley describes the election as not free and fair since a major segment of the opposition was excluded from participating.[3]

Background

Following the 1964 elections, Barrientos had led a military coup to remove Víctor Paz Estenssoro from power. In May 1965, Juan Lechín Oquendo, a labor leader who was the head of the left faction of the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement, was arrested and expelled from the country.[4]

Campaign

Several alliances were formed for the elections:[5]

Alliance Parties
Christian Democratic Community Bolivian Socialist Falange
Democratic Revolutionary Alliance
National Association of Democratic Professions
Democratic Institutionalist Alliance Liberal Party
Republican Socialist Unity Party
Front of the Bolivian Revolution Authentic Revolutionary Party
Popular Christian Movement
Social Democratic Party
Revolutionary Left Party
Liberation Front of the National Left Communist Party and others

Results

PartyPresidential candidateVotes%Seats
ChamberSenate
Front of the Bolivian RevolutionRené Barrientos677,80567.148218
Christian Democratic CommunityBernardino Bilbao Rioja138,00113.67198
Revolutionary Nationalist Movement–AndradeVíctor Andrade88,3928.7600
Revolutionary Nationalist Movement of the PeopleMario Díez de Medina60,5055.9911
Liberation Front of the National LeftFelipe Iñíguez33,4583.3100
Democratic Institutionalist AllianceEnrique Hertzog11,3301.1200
Total1,009,491100.0010227
Valid votes1,009,49191.77
Invalid/blank votes90,5038.23
Total votes1,099,994100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,270,61186.57
Source: Hofmeister & Bamberger

See also

References

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p133 ISBN 978-0-19-928358-3
  2. ^ Nohlen, p150
  3. ^ Dunkerley, James (1998). "The 1997 Bolivian election in historical perspective". ISA Occasional Papers (16).
  4. ^ U.S. High Level Panel (2004). "Editorial Note".
  5. ^ Nohlen, p139