Bolivia's Constitutional Court Confirms Legitimacy Of Power Transfer To Anez

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2019) Bolivia's Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal has confirmed the lawfulness of Second Vice Speaker of Bolivia's Senate Jeanine Anez taking office as the country's interim president, despite the fact that lawmakers have not formalized the power transfer.

Anez declared herself interim president on Tuesday, at a special parliament meeting called to officially accept the resignation of Bolivia's President Evo Morales. However, lawmakers from the Movement for Socialism (MAS), Morales's populist left-wing party, which has a majority presence in Bolivia's Legislative Assembly, did not show up for the Tuesday session.

Thus the quorum necessary for the approval of the power transfer was not reached.

"Given that the inheritance of power occurs as a result of a request for resignation ... no legislative act or decision of Congress is required," Bolivia's constitutional court said on Tuesday.

Morales resigned on Sunday amid mass demonstrations against his victory in the October election.