Luis Arce promulgates exceptional law to suspend political party primaries

The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, promulgated this Monday the Law of Exceptional and Transitory Regime of Primary Elections with the purpose of giving priority to the judicial elections that will be held on December 1 in the Plurinational State.

This law suspends the presidential primary elections, a measure that was agreed upon at a meeting of political organizations and State institutions at the beginning of July.

“Today we have received the Law of Exceptional and Transitory Regime of Primary Elections and we are promulgating it immediately, in compliance with the agreement reached between State bodies and political organizations at the meeting of July 10, convened by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal – TSE” , reported the Bolivian president in a message published in X.

Arce also said that as a Government they guarantee the necessary resources to hold the Judicial Elections on December 1, 2024, as established by the TSE.

“Thus, the authorities of the Judicial Branch will be elected by direct vote of the Bolivian people, complying with our Political Constitution of the State,” he added in his publication.

Today we have received the Law of Exceptional and Transitory Regime of Primary Elections and we are promulgating it immediately, in compliance with the agreement reached between State bodies and political organizations at the meeting of July 10, convened by the Supreme Court… pic.twitter.com/pWrc75UJdm

– Luis Alberto Arce Catacora (Lucho Arce) (@LuchoXBolivia) August 19, 2024

Congress gave the go-ahead

Last week, the Senate gave final approval in the Legislature to the rule of suspension of the primary elections, which were scheduled to be held at the end of this year.

The only article establishes that: “The purpose of this Law is to provide, exceptionally, that for the 2025 general elections, the primary elections for candidates of the presidential binomial will not be held.”

In July, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) called social and political organizations to a meeting for democracy to consolidate the general elections in 2025 and prioritize judicial elections this year.

The TSE finally set the judicial elections for next December 1, in which the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice, the Constitutional Court, the Agro-Environmental Court and the Judicial Council will be elected.