In the headlines: in Bolivia, the interim president gives up standing for the next presidential election

Acting Bolivian President Jeanine Añez, March 13, 2020, at the Presidential Palace in La Paz.

REUTERS / David Mercado

Text by: Stefanie Schüler Follow

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One month before the elections in Bolivia, the interim president announced last night that she was giving up her candidacy for the presidential election scheduled for October 18.

According to the latest polls, Jeanine Añez is with only 10% of the voting intentions far behind Luis Arce, socialist candidate and foal of ex-president Evo Morales.

For the newspaper

Los Tiempos

, his renunciation comes much too late: “ 

From the start, the candidacy of Jeanine Añez for the presidency was contested

, recalls the daily.

Appointed as interim president to lead the country to new elections, concerns were great that Jeanine Añez would use state resources to conduct her election campaign.

And that's exactly what happened,

 ”emphasizes

Los Tiempos

.

See also: Bolivia: interim president Jeanine Añez renounces the presidential election

Jeanine Añez justified the withdrawal of her candidacy by the need to unify the opposition in the face of the threat of a return of the MAS, the Movement towards Socialism of Evo Morales, in power.

But it is clear, writes

La Razon

, that “ 

there are still seven candidates in the running.

And none of them has so far hinted that he could also withdraw his candidacy to unite the anti-Arc

e

camp

”.

The newspaper

Pagina Siete

, meanwhile, disagrees with the “

everything but Arce

 ”

strategy 

: “ 

The MAS represents the aspirations of a large part of the population and, therefore, it is essential to include these Bolivians in the democratic game

 ", estimates the columnist who continues:" 

The next government will have to face a serious health and economic crisis in an extremely polarized political environment.

The legitimate expectations of MAS voters must find their place in the program of the future government.

In a democracy, everyone must feel represented and respected.

Only dictators and idiots respond with deafness.

 "

Haiti under pressure from the United States to organize legislative elections

Haiti has not had an operational parliament since January for lack of elections organized on time.

But to consider a new election, the country must first equip itself with a new provisional electoral council.

According to the Haitian Constitution, the CEP is made up of nine members from different sectors of society.

But several of them believe that the current situation, in particular security, does not allow the organization of the poll.

And that is why these sectors do not appoint members for the new Provisional Electoral Council.

But this blockage does not please the United States.

This time, the US government has gone further in its insistent calls for the organization of elections in Haiti,

 " said

Le National

.

Now it is not only the Haitian government that is under pressure

 ."

The American administration “ 

also directly threatens the Haitian opposition and civil society actors

 ”.

In a tweet, the United States Embassy in Port-au-Prince warns: " 

there will be consequences for those who obstruct

 " the electoral process.

These American statements spark a real outcry in Haiti.

Many people consider them to be " 

unacceptable American interference in the country's internal affairs, 

" reports the

Alterpresse

agency

.

But the editor of the newspaper

Le Nouvelliste

believes that “ 

sulking is not enough.

You have to propose, commit, say what you want to do or impose what

you want, "writes Frantz Duval before concluding:" 

Americans are pushing to be in a democracy of appearances.

The governance issues are ours.

 "

In Peru, Parliament must debate and then vote today to dismiss the president

"

The future of Martin Vizcarra is at stake

", headlines

El Comercio

.

The Peruvian Parliament voted last week to open impeachment proceedings against the head of state for " 

moral incapacity

 ".

Martin Vizcarra is suspected of witness manipulation in a corruption case.

“ 

To vote for the dismissal of the president, the votes of 87 elected out of 130 are necessary.

 "

The vote will be preceded by a debate in the hemicycle.

"

We still do not know if Martin Viscarra will appear in person in front of parliamentarians to defend himself

 ", writes

El Comercio,

who recalls that " 

the president does not have a majority in Parliament, but that several parties have already announced that they will vote against his dismissal

 ”.

To read also:

Peru: behind the impeachment procedure of the president, an attempted coup?

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