Political parties

From Bolivian Politics

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Bolivia historically had a '''multiparty system'''. Until 2002, the [[party system]] was dominated by three to five medium-sized parties. Seats in the [[National Congress]] are (since 1997) elected in a mixed-member proportional [[electoral system]]. Before 2005, no presidential candidate was able to win a simple majority, and [[coalition governments]] were the norm. Only recently, the party system is dominated by two parties: [[MAS]] and [[PODEMOS]].
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All '''political parties''' must register with the [[National Electoral Court]] (CNE). Recent constitutional changes allow [[civic associations]] and indigenous communities to register and run slates of candidates in municipal, departmental, and national elections. Some of the orgaqnizations registered with the CNE are more appropriately considered electoral fronts, electoral alliances, or civic groups; for simplicity, they are all referred to here as "parties."
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All political parties must register with the [[National Electoral Court]] (CNE). Recent constitutional changes allow [[civic associations]] and indigenous communities to register and run slates of candidates in municipal, departmental, and national elections. Some of the "parties" registered with the CNE are more appropriately considered electoral fronts or electoral alliances. For simplicity, they are all referred to here as '''parties'''.
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Bolivia has, for much of its recent post-democratization history,  had a multiparty system. Until 2002, the [[Political party system|party system]] was dominated by three to five medium-sized parties. Seats in the [[National Congress]] are (since 1997) elected in a [[mixed-member proportional]] electoral system. Before 2005, no presidential candidate won a simple majority, and [[coalition governments]] were the norm. Recently, the party system has become dominated by two electoral parties: [[MAS]] and [[PODEMOS]].
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== Classifying Bolivia's political parties ==
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== Major parties ==
== Major parties ==
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The following political parties, civic associations, or electoral alliances won seats in the [[2005 general election]] and the [[2006 constituent assembly election]].
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Only four parties won legislative seats in the [[2005 general election]]: [[MAS]], [[PODEMOS]], [[MNR]], and [[UN]]. A total of twenty parties won delegate seats in the [[2006 constituent assembly election]]; some of those parties are only regional parties, running candidates in only one of the country's nine departments.
=== National parties ===
=== National parties ===
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* [[Movimiento de Ia Izquierda Revolucionaria - Nueva Mayoría]] (MIR-NM)
* [[Movimiento de Ia Izquierda Revolucionaria - Nueva Mayoría]] (MIR-NM)
* [[Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario]] (MNR)
* [[Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario]] (MNR)
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* [[Poder Democrático y Social]] (PODEMOS)
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* [[Poder Democrático y Social]] (PODEMOS) — officially registered as [[Alianza Siglo XXI]] (ASXXI)
=== Regional parties ===
=== Regional parties ===
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The following parties have presence in only one department. They are listed by department, followed by a brief description.
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The following parties have presence in only one department.
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==== La Paz ====
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*'''La Paz'''
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* [[Alianza Social Patriótica]] (ASP), an electoral front created by [[David Vargas]]
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** [[Alianza Social Patriótica]] (ASP)
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* [[Movimiento Sin Miedo]] (MSM), an electoral front headed by [[Juan Del Granado]] (mayor of the city of La Paz) and currently allied with [[MAS]]
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** [[Movimiento Sin Miedo]] (MSM)
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* [[Plan Progreso]] (PP), an electoral front created by [[José Luis Paredes]] (prefect of La Paz) and currently allied with [[PODEMOS]]
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** [[Plan Progreso]] (PP)
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==== Cochabamba ====
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*'''Cochabamba'''
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* [[Alianza por la Unidad Cochabambina]] (AUN), an electoral front created by [[Manfred Reyes Villa]] (former head of [[NFR]] and current prefect of Cochabamba) currently allied with [[PODEMOS]]
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** [[Alianza por la Unidad Cochabambina]] (AUN)
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==== Oruro ====
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*'''Oruro'''
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* [[Movimiento Ciudadano San Felipe de Austria]] (MCSFA), an electoral front created by [[Edgar Bazán]] (mayor of the city of Oruro)
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** [[Movimiento Ciudadano San Felipe de Austria]] (MCSFA)
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==== Potosí ====
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*'''Potosí'''
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* [[Alianza Social]] (AS), an electoral front created by [[René Joaquino]] (prefect of Potosí)
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** [[Alianza Social]] (AS)
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* [[Movimiento Originario Popular]] (MOP), an organization representing indigenous communities of northern Potosí
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** [[Movimiento Originario Popular]] (MOP)
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==== Tarija ====
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*'''Tarija'''
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* [[Frente Revolucionario de Izquierda]] (FRI), a long-established regional party led by [[Carlos Serrate Reich]] and usually allied with [[MIR]], it is currently alliance with [[MNR]] as [[Camino al Cambio]] (MNR-FRI)
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** [[Frente Revolucionario de Izquierda]] (FRI)
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==== Santa Cruz ====
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*'''Santa Cruz'''
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* [[Alianza 3]], an electoral front created by [[Freddy Soruco]] and currently allied with the [[MNR]] as [[A3-MNR]]
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** [[Alianza Trabajo, Responsabilidad, Eficiencia y Seguridad]] (Alianza-TRES or A-3)
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* [[Alianza Andrés Ibañez]] (AAI), an electoral front headed by [[Hormando Vaca Díez]] (formerly of [[MIR]]) that combined factions of MIR, [[UCS]], and [[ADN]]
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** [[Alianza Andrés Ibañez]] (AAI)
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* [[Autonomía Para Bolivia]] (APB), an electoral front created by [[Rubén Darío]] (prefect of Santa Cruz) and currently allied with [[PODEMOS]]
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** [[Autonomía Para Bolivia]] (APB)
== Minor parties ==
== Minor parties ==
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* [[Transformación Democrática y Patriótica]] (TRADEPA)
* [[Transformación Democrática y Patriótica]] (TRADEPA)
* [[Unidad Cívica Solidaridad]] (UCS)
* [[Unidad Cívica Solidaridad]] (UCS)
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The following parties did not meet the [[electoral threshold]] in the [[2005 general election]] and lost their registry status.
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== Parties that have lost legal status ==
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The following parties lost their legal status after the [[2006 constituent assembly election]].
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* [[Convergencia Democrática Ciudadana]] (CDC)
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* [[Movimiento Ayra]] (AYRA)
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* [[Movimiento de Acción Ciudadana]] (MACA)
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* [[Movimiento Autónomo Regional]] (MAR)
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* [[Movimiento Bolivia Libre]] (MBL)
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* [[Movimiento de Integración Boliviana]] (MIBOL)
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* [[Movimiento de la Izquierda Revolucionaria]] (MIR)
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* [[Transformación Democrática y Patriótica]] (TRADEPA)
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The following parties lost their legal status after the [[2005 general election]].
* [[Frente Patriótico Agropecuario de Bolivia]] (FREPAB)
* [[Frente Patriótico Agropecuario de Bolivia]] (FREPAB)
* [[Movimiento Indígena Pachakuti]] (MIP)
* [[Movimiento Indígena Pachakuti]] (MIP)
* [[Nueva Fuerza Republicana]] (NFR)
* [[Nueva Fuerza Republicana]] (NFR)
* [[Unión Social de Trabajadores de Bolivia]] (USTB)
* [[Unión Social de Trabajadores de Bolivia]] (USTB)
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==Ideological classification==
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Because of the country's strong [[populist legacy]], Bolivian parties are often difficult to categorize by ideology. Likewise, many parties officially declare themselves as "nationalist" or [[national revolutionary parties]], regardless of where they fit on a left-right spectrum. Nevertheless, parties can be classified into the following categories:
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* [[Christian democratic parties|Christian democrat]]
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* [[Katarista parties|Katarista]] (Andean "indigenous")
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* [[Marxist-socialist parties|Marxist-socialist]]
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* [[Syndicalist parties|Syndicalist]]
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* [[Neoliberal parties|Neoliberal]] (or "systemic")
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* [[Neopopulist parties|Neopopulist]]
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* [[Regionalist parties|Regionalist]]
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* [[Social democratic parties|Social democrat]]
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A final type are the [[personalist parties]], which are both difficult to classify on any spectrum and quite common on Bolivian politics. A variety of political parties display a strong element of personalism, but the term is reserved for those that are almost purely personalist political vehicles.
== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Political party system]]
* [[Political party system]]
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* [[Historical political parties]]
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* [[Historical parties]]
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* [[Elections]]

Current revision as of 13:14, 7 November 2007

All political parties must register with the National Electoral Court (CNE). Recent constitutional changes allow civic associations and indigenous communities to register and run slates of candidates in municipal, departmental, and national elections. Some of the orgaqnizations registered with the CNE are more appropriately considered electoral fronts, electoral alliances, or civic groups; for simplicity, they are all referred to here as "parties."

Bolivia has, for much of its recent post-democratization history, had a multiparty system. Until 2002, the party system was dominated by three to five medium-sized parties. Seats in the National Congress are (since 1997) elected in a mixed-member proportional electoral system. Before 2005, no presidential candidate won a simple majority, and coalition governments were the norm. Recently, the party system has become dominated by two electoral parties: MAS and PODEMOS.

Contents

Major parties

Only four parties won legislative seats in the 2005 general election: MAS, PODEMOS, MNR, and UN. A total of twenty parties won delegate seats in the 2006 constituent assembly election; some of those parties are only regional parties, running candidates in only one of the country's nine departments.

National parties

The following political parties have presence in all nine departments.

Regional parties

The following parties have presence in only one department.

Minor parties

The following parties did not elect delegates in the most recent 2006 constituent assembly election.

Parties that have lost legal status

The following parties lost their legal status after the 2006 constituent assembly election.

The following parties lost their legal status after the 2005 general election.

Ideological classification

Because of the country's strong populist legacy, Bolivian parties are often difficult to categorize by ideology. Likewise, many parties officially declare themselves as "nationalist" or national revolutionary parties, regardless of where they fit on a left-right spectrum. Nevertheless, parties can be classified into the following categories:

A final type are the personalist parties, which are both difficult to classify on any spectrum and quite common on Bolivian politics. A variety of political parties display a strong element of personalism, but the term is reserved for those that are almost purely personalist political vehicles.

See also

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