The Bolivian presidential elections will take place on Sunday, December 6, with the winner taking control of the country for the next five years. It is generally accepted that incumbent Evo Morales Ayma, leader of MAS (Movement to Socialism), will win by a large margin over the seven opposition candidates. In recent weeks, Manfred Reyes Villa, Evo’s closest contender, has campaigned heavily to gain support from Evo’s strong campesino base. However, most prognosticators agree that it is too little, too late for the former Cochabamba governor.
Even with the outcome a forgone conclusion, Bolivian news sources continue to dissect the exchanges between the top candidates with interesting side stories thrown in (for instance, Manfred’s running mate launching verbal insults at Evo and MAS from his prison cell in the department of Pando; opposition leaders accusing Evo’s government of corruption and dishonesty, a claim some argue is supported by Transparency International’s recent ranking of Bolivia as one of the most corrupt countries on the continent, ahead of Venezuela; and promises on both sides that coca leaf deregulation will continue). On the weekends in Cochabamba, the main streets are lined with campaign supporters, some dressed as clowns, mascots, or other eye-grabbing personalities. They hand out flyers to passing motorists, who seem to either gratefully accept the propaganda or ball it up and hurl it to the ground with choice words. Indifference is not commonplace.
With election anticipation building each week, the children of the Villa recently weighed in on their presidential preferences. What better way to expose children to the process than through a mock election, complete with all of the rules and regulations outlined in the newly adopted biometric system? With the leadership of Douglas, coordinator of the Growing Up Playing program in the Villa, and the assistance of students from the UMSS Law School in Cochabamba, children of the Villa experienced the entire election process, from registration to counting votes, in a fun and memorable experience.
Once each child in the Villa was registered as an eligible voter, the elections were set for a Saturday morning. On that day, two tables were set up to receive the voters. Law students served as election officials and, for added legitimacy, a real police officer monitored the proceedings. With the ballots and voter lists ready, Douglas called each of the houses in turn to line up at the polls with their registration cards. The children eagerly awaited the opportunity to cast their first vote. While one election official searched for a voter’s name in the list, another unfolded a ballot to show the gathered audience that it was unmarked. With ballot and pencil in hand, each voter entered one of two voting booths (Douglas’ and Karla’s offices) to make a selection for a candidate by placing an X in the corresponding box. Upon choosing, the voters placed their ballot in a box and then got a finger dyed with black ink, in order to show they had voted. The election officials then passed out literature about new suffrage regulations in Bolivia for the children to peruse in anticipation of the real presidential election.
Once all registered voters had cast their ballots, the boxes were taken to the gym to be counted. The children congregated on the judo mats and, while the candidates’ parties were being written on the chalkboard, enthusiastically voiced their support for Evo or Manfred (no other candidate garnered much support). The two divided sides sat interspersed and began exchanging criticisms made popular in the media. Some proclaimed, “Manfred is a liar and a thief, who steals from everyone.” Others denounced, “Evo never does what he says and sells drugs.” Before the arguments could get too heated, an election official announced that the votes were ready to be counted.
One by one, ballots were drawn and presented dramatically to the voters. At each announcement, children roared with joy or booed emphatically. Manfred and Evo remained close after the first ballot box had been counted (Casas Semilla de Amor, Esperanza, Amanecer, and San Miguel). However, the second box (Casas San Francisco, Copacabana, San MartÃn, and Kantuta) revealed a clear preference for President Evo Morales. When the final ballot was read, the tally showed the following results:
Evo Morales 35 (55.6%) Manfred Reyes Villa 20 (31.7%) Samuel Doria Medina 3 (4.8%) Alejo Veliz 1 (1.6%) Null (either blank or with stray marks) 4 (6.3%)
Most of the children left the gym lauding their victorious candidate and his continued reign. Others lumbered off with hardened faces. Even though it was a mock election, the outcome left a distinct emotion with each of the voters. Indifference is not commonplace.
After reactionary emotions had settled, I asked some of the children what they thought about the morning’s events. Evo supporters talked about how he was going to improve Bolivia. Manfred backers did not care to converse with the Evo crowd. But some of the younger voters had more innocent comments.
“I liked getting ink put on my finger.” “The colors on the ballot were really pretty.” “Is there really a woman up for president?” “[with a smile]I didn’t mark anyone on my paper.”
How often do children as young as four have the opportunity to learn about and participate in every step of the voting process? The Villa presidential elections truly were a unique and rewarding experience. Many thanks to Douglas and the law students at UMSS for orchestrating this event. It will be interesting to see how the Villa results reflect the popular vote on December 6.
