Bolivia's Supreme Electoral Tribunal Confirms Rejection Of Morales' Bid For Senate

MONTEVIDEO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st February, 2020) Head of the Bolivian Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) Salvador Romero confirmed that former President Evo Morales had been refused to register as a Senate candidate.

On Wednesday, Bolivia's Deber newspaper reported about this TSE decision, citing sources in the Movement for Socialism party of Morales.

"Over the failure [of Morales] to comply with the permanent residency requirement, the court decided to reject the bid for the Senate of Evo Morales from the Cochabamba state," Romero said at a press conference on late Thursday.

Former Foreign Minister Diego Pary Rodriguez was also banned from running for the Senate.

Morales quit his post and fled the country in November after the opposition challenged his victory in the October election, which was to launch his fourth consecutive presidential term. Afterward, the country's entire top leadership resigned as well. Senior opposition lawmaker Jeanine Anez took over as interim president.

The new presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 3, with Morales being already barred from running for the top office.