Bolivia's 1967 constitution, revised in 1994, provides for balanced executive, legislative, and judicial powers. The traditionally strong executive, however, tends to overshadow the Congress, whose role is generally limited to debating and approving legislation initiated by the executive. The judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court and departmental and lower courts, has long been riddled with corruption and inefficiency. Through revisions to the constitution in 1994, and subsequent laws, the government has initiated potentially far-reaching reforms in the judicial system and processes.

Bolivia's nine departments received greater autonomy under the Administrative Decentralization law of 1995, although principal departmental officials are still appointed by the central government. Bolivian cities and towns are governed by elected mayors and councils. The most recent municipal elections took place on December 5 2004. The Popular Participation Law of April 1994, which distributes a significant portion of national revenues to municipalities for discretionary use, has enabled previously neglected communities to make striking improvements in their facilities and services.

Hugo Banzer Suárez was elected president in 1997. No candidate received a majority of the popular vote, but Banzer won a congressional runoff election on 5 August 1997 after forming a "megacoalition" with MIR, UCS, CONDEPA, NFR and PDC. As a result of no candidate winning a majority in the 30 June 2002 election, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada was chosen president by Congress, winning a 84-43 vote against contestant Evo Morales. Following the resignation of the elected president on 17 October 2003, Vice President Carlos Mesa assumed the presidency.

Contents

1 Legislative branch 1.1 Background 1.2 Legislative bodies 2 Judicial branch 3 Executive branch 4 Political parties and groups 4.1 Political parties and their leaders 4.2 Political pressure groups and leaders 5 International affairs 6 Reference

Legislative branch

Background

Government type: republic

Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)

Administrative divisions: Nine departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

Constitution: 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

Legal system: based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

• 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married)
• 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)

Legislative bodies

Bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of Chamber of Senators (Cámara de Senadores) (27 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) (130 seats; 68 are directly elected from their districts and 62 are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch

• Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges appointed for 10-year terms by National Congress
• District Courts (one in each department)
• Provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)

Executive branch

The president is both the chief of state and head of government

President: Carlos Mesa (since 17 October 2003)

Vice President: (vacant)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held June 2002

Political parties and groups

Political parties and their leaders

See also: List of political parties in Bolivia

• Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB – Romel Pantoja
• Civic Solidarity Union or UCS – Johnny Fernández
• Free Bolivia Movement or MBL – Franz Barrios
• Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA – Freddy Zabala
• Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR – Jaime Paz
• Movement Toward Socialism or MAS – Evo Morales
• Movement Without Fear or MSM – Juan Del Granado
• Nationalist Democratic Action or ADN – Jorge Fernando Quiroga
• Nationalist Revolutionary Movement or MNR
• New Republican Force or NFR – Manfred Reyes-Villa
• Pachakuti Indigenous Movement or MIP – Felipe Quispe
• Socialist Party or PS – Jeres Justiniano

Political pressure groups and leaders

• Cocalero Groups – Evo Morales
• indigenous organizations
• labor unions
• Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB – Roman Loayaza

International affairs

International organization participation: CAN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Reference

Much of the material in this article comes from the CIA World Factbook 2005 and also the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.

See also : list of presidents of Bolivia