The first Bolivian judicial election was held on 16 October 2011. The national vote was held to elect magistrates to serve on the Supreme Tribunal of Justice , the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal , the Agro-environmental Tribunal and members of the Council of the Judiciary . It was originally scheduled to be held on 5 December 2010, but officials of the National Electoral Court

National Electoral Court of Bolivia

The National Electoral Court was the government-appointed court which oversaw elections and electoral results at all levels of Bolivian government from 1956 to 2010, and supervised nine Departmental Electoral Courts in each department...

 and of the MAS majority in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly delayed it. The vote will be the first time that a Latin American country directly elects its highest judicial officials.

Background

The governing MAS

Mas

Mas or Más may refer to:* Mas , a surnameIn arts:* Más , an album by Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz* "Más", a song by Kinky from their 2002 album Kinky...

 party said the vote would make judges more accoutable ad improve the efficacy of the judicial process. However, the opposition parties urged voters to either abstain or leave the ballots blank on the grounds that the election could "erode the independence of the judiciary" and strengthen President Evo Morales

Evo Morales

Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...

 as 114 of the candidates were chosen by a Congress dominated by MAS. Previously judges had been directly elected by the Congress.http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/10/2011101773619158951.html

Candidates

Proposed Supreme Tribunal magistrates must be approved as qualified by a two-thirds vote of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly. Candidates are forbidden from campaigning and from affiliating with political parties.

Election

Over 5,000,000 people registered to vote.http://www.cadenagramonte.cu/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7370:5-million-voters-registered-in-bolivia&catid=3:world&Itemid=14

Ipsos Apoyo said that with 76.2% of votes counted, between 46% to 48% of votes case were invalid, while valid votes accounted for about 38%, with the remaining ballots left blank. Absenteeism was roughly 20%. It was read as a setback for Morales,http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2011/10/18/320210/Bolivia-vote.htm particularly in light of the 2011 Bolivian protests.

Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal

The elected members of the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal are (in order of total votes received): Bernardo Huarachi, Deysi Villagómez, Gabriela Armijo Paz, Javier Peñafiel, Juan Ricardo Soto, Lucio Fuentes, and Yola Paucara. The elected alternate members are: Isabel Ortuño, Lidia Chipana, Mario Pacosillo, Katia López, Javier Aramayo, Miriam Pacheco, and Rommy Colque.

Supreme Tribunal of Justice

The elected members of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice are (in order of total votes received): Gualberto Cusi, Efren Choque, Ligia Velásquez, Mirta Camacho, Ruddy José Flores, Neldy Andrade, Soraida Chávez. The elected alternate members are: Macario Lahor Cortez, Milton Mendoza, Juan Valencia, Blanca Alarcón, Carmen Sandoval, Edith Oroz Carrasco, and Zenón Bacarreza.

Judiciary Council

The elected members of the Judiciary Council are (in order of total votes received): Cristina Mamani, Freddy Sanabria, Wilma Mamani, Roger Triveño, and Ernesto Araníbar.