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The new president, Jeanine Anez, on November 12th. Fuente: Reuters.

In Bolivia, the Constitutional Court validated the proclamation of Jeanine Añez as acting President of the country. A disputed choice because this appointment does not respect the protocol defined by the Constitution.

Bolivia has a new president. 48 hours after the announcement of the resignation of Evo Morales following three weeks of demonstrations and clashes, Jeanine Añez has been proclaimed acting president of the country. Despite the issues surrounding his appointment, including non-compliance with the Constitution, the Bolivian Constitutional Court upheld the decision.

" As President of the Senate, I assume immediately the presidency of the state that is inscribed in the constitutional order and I pledge to take all necessary measures to pacify the country, " said the former second vice-president of the Senate, who was the only one eligible for the post since all the successors of Evo Morales provided for by the Constitution also resigned.

The quorum was not respected because the elected members of the MAS (Movement towards Socialism), the political party of Evo Morales, majority in the Parliament, were not present in the hemicycle. Another incoherence: the letters of resignation, which were nevertheless validated by the elected officials, have never reached them. And lately, the Constitutional Court validated the election, while the process did not respect the text of the Constitution.

Towards new elections?

The new president has 90 days to form a government and organize a new presidential election according to the Constitution. She also promised that it would take place before January 22, 2020. However, in an interview with CNN, the new president said she would form "a transitional government" before adding " the conditions (are) gathered for elections ". She also rejected the accusations of former President Evo Morales, an exile in Mexico, who denounced " the most astute and most heinous coup d'etat in history ".

Suffice to say that the task is expected to be complicated for the new president in a totally divided country where clashes and violence continue to make headlines in the press, reports the correspondent of RFI on the spot, Romain Lemaresquier . Jeanine Añez will have to find arguments to convince the supporters of Evo Morales to release the pressure.