Cablegate: Bolivia: Recall Referenda Sitrep #2 1515 Edt

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TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC BL
SUBJECT: BOLIVIA: RECALL REFERENDA SITREP #2 1515 EDT

August 10, 2008

SITUATION REPORT. This is second of several situation reports
today.

1. (U) Voting continues in a generally peaceful and orderly
fashion. Bolivia Transparente, an umbrella organization
providing election observers, reports to USAID that there are
isolated incidents of minor irregularities: campaigning too
close to the polls and one individual with a gun who was
detained by police. Isolated incidents of voter roll
irregularities are also being announced, including a Cuban
citizen who attempted to vote with false Bolivian
identification and cases of ineligible individuals listed on
the voter rolls.

2. (U) In the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) aligned Santa
Cruz neighborhood of Plan Tres Mil, tensions are high as the
autonomist Santa Cruz Youth Union arrived in response to a
visit by Vice President Garcia Linera. Police are on site
hoping to avoid conflicts between residents and the youth
group members.

3. (U) Some of the earliest voting stations to close have
been prisons (where the registered voters are understandably
able to vote early in the day.) So far Bolivia's prison
population seems to be solidly pro-Evo.
GOLDBERG

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