LA PAZ (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2019) Bolivia's Second Vice Speaker of the Senate Jeanine Anez, who is due to assume interim presidency after resignation of Evo Morales, said on Monday that new elections must be held by January 22, 2020.
Earlier in the day, Anez arrived in the parliament, which is yet to approve her interim presidency.
"We have a schedule of elections. The population asks to have an elected president by January 22. We will make every effort to achieve this," she told reporters.
The winner of the October 20 election was supposed to take office on January 22. However, once the election authorities announced the victory of Morales in the first round, the opposition contested it.
Morales finally stepped down on Sunday after the national armed forces had urged him to do so amid the ongoing unrest against his re-election win. The army de facto sided with protesters even though Morales pledged earlier that same day to call new elections and reshuffle the electoral board after the preliminary report of the Organization of American States found "grave" irregularities in the vote. His offer was not supported by the opposition, which demanded he abandon post.
After the resignation of Morales and other top officials, the power was assumed by the opposition vice speaker of the senate, Anez. Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico and Nicaragua have described the events in Bolivia � accompanied by violent rallies, attacks on officials, arson incidents and occupation of buildings � as a coup. Russia has similarly said that the opposition's steps resembled an "orchestrated coup."
