MADRID, 19 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Christian Democratic Party (PDC) is leading Bolivia's general elections with just over 30 percent of the vote, closely followed by Alianza Libre (Free Alliance) with less than two percentage points, according to preliminary data provided by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), with nearly 70 percent of the votes counted.
According to the electoral body, Rodrigo Paz Pereira's party—which declared itself the winner of the first round of the presidential election the day before—has garnered 30.35 percent, or nearly 1,150,000 votes.
The second-place finish so far is held by the Free Alliance, whose leader, former Bolivian President Jorge Tuto Quiroga, will challenge Paz Pereira for the presidency on October 19, with 28.46 percent of the vote, slightly surpassing the million ballots received.
Following behind is Unidad, led by businessman Samuel Doria, supported by just over 800,000 citizens, representing 21.5 percent of the vote. Alianza Popular, led by Senate President Andrónico Rodríguez, and APB – Súmate, obtained less than ten percent, in what appears to be a replication of the results of the first round of the presidential elections.
In this sense, the defeat of the ruling Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) is confirmed, with just over 3 percent of the vote. And with less than 2 percent are La Fuerza del Pueblo (People's Force) and the Libertad y Progreso-ADN party.
According to the Ipsos quick count reported by the Bolivian television network Unitel, the PDC would obtain 45 deputies, while Libre would have 37, Unidad 28, Súmate six, Alianza Popular five, MAS one deputy, and eight others are yet to be determined. The same study awards thirteen senators to the PDC, eleven to Alianza Libre, six to Unidad, and one to Súmate, although it remains to be seen which political parties will represent the remaining five.
