Jeanine Anez, Bolivia’s opposition lawmaker and Senate second vice-president, declared herself to be the country’s interim president, a day after ousted leader Evo Morales resigned from the position.
This comes shortly after Bolivian lawmakers revealed they lacked a majority to formally approve ousted President Evo Morales’ resignation, Sputnik reported.
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According to agencies, the lawmaker stressed that her government would be of transitory nature with a goal to call new elections.
She said, “I have to comply with the country, it’s about calling for new elections, it’s just a transition stage.”
Anez served for 10 years as an opposition lawmaker and is a member of the Democratic Union Party who is known for her anti-Morales politics.
Meanwhile, Morales has left behind a political vacuum in Bolivia who resigned from the presidency under pressure from police and army after a disputed election.
Presidential polls were held in Bolivia on October 20 and Morales obtained 47.8% of the vote, securing victory in the first round. However, the opposition claimed that the election is manipulated and some parties urged supporters to take to the streets.
After the opposition demanded a cancelling of the polls, Morales announced there would be new elections, but opposition supporters said they would continue protests until an election without Morales was held.
The Bolivian opposition had accused electoral authorities of manipulating the vote in favour of the incumbent Morales, who denied the allegations and declared himself the winner.
Morales claimed he’d been forced out in a coup a charge made by many of his allies in South America.