Crisis deepens in Bolivia

By James Blears

There's unrest and demonstrations in Bolivia, following the October 20th Presidential Election. Runner up and former President himself, Carlos Mesa is condemning the result and the nature of the Organization of American States Special Audit concerning the process, stating he wasn`t either consulted or advised about the investigation. He`s questioning a 24 hour delay in vote counting, demanding a fresh election.

Police Officers have been protesting, especially in the Capital La Paz. The Ministry of Defense says it won`t deploy troops. And the Military themselves have  ruled out intervention,  explaining that this is a civilian problem needing a democratic resolution.

President Evo Morales denies vote tampering and is criticizing  the overrunning of radio as well as television stations. The ruling Movement for Socialism party is calling for its supports to converge on the Capital and bolster with pro Government rallies. Yet more reaction expected when the results of the OAS audit become public in the coming days.