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| Bolivia’s President Has Big Vote Lead as Monitors Express Doubts on Tally | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| LA PAZ, Bolivia — An updated tally of votes cast in Bolivia’s presidential election appeared to give President Evo Morales a big enough lead to avoid a runoff on Monday, igniting allegations of fraud and prompting clashes on the streets. | LA PAZ, Bolivia — An updated tally of votes cast in Bolivia’s presidential election appeared to give President Evo Morales a big enough lead to avoid a runoff on Monday, igniting allegations of fraud and prompting clashes on the streets. |
| With about 95 percent of the votes counted, election officials said Mr. Morales received 46.8 percent of the votes, while his closest rival, Carlos Mesa, won 36.7 percent. To avoid a runoff, the incumbent needed a 10 percentage point advantage. | With about 95 percent of the votes counted, election officials said Mr. Morales received 46.8 percent of the votes, while his closest rival, Carlos Mesa, won 36.7 percent. To avoid a runoff, the incumbent needed a 10 percentage point advantage. |
| Manuel González, the head of the election observer mission dispatched by the Organization of American States to monitor Bolivia’s vote, said on Monday night that he was “profoundly concerned” by a “drastic” reversal in the vote results that gave the president a solid lead. | |
| Mr. González, a former foreign minister from Costa Rica, said the vote trend data compiled by the mission’s observers suggested that the two candidates were apart by less than 10 percentage points. He called the tally released on Monday night by election officials “inexplicable” and said it eroded trust in the electoral system. | |
| “It’s essential that the people’s will be fully respected,” Mr. González said. | |
| He said the O.A.S. intended to issue a comprehensive reports on its findings in coming days and that the report would say a second round was warranted. | |
| Many Bolivians were suspicious of the result because election officials halted updating vote results for nearly 24 hours. Across the country, people posted videos on social media of scenes that purported to show electoral irregularities, including stashes of ballots and other election materials found in residences and vehicles. | |
| While those accusations of fraud could not be independently corroborated, among critics of Mr. Morales they created a widespread sense that the president or his allies had worked behind the scenes to rig the vote. | While those accusations of fraud could not be independently corroborated, among critics of Mr. Morales they created a widespread sense that the president or his allies had worked behind the scenes to rig the vote. |
| As election officials released new results at a hotel in La Paz, opponents of Mr. Morales angrily changed “fraud, fraud!” | As election officials released new results at a hotel in La Paz, opponents of Mr. Morales angrily changed “fraud, fraud!” |
| Heavily-armed police officers were deployed to the streets, where they clashed with demonstrators on Monday night, according to television news reports. | Heavily-armed police officers were deployed to the streets, where they clashed with demonstrators on Monday night, according to television news reports. |
| Carlos Mesa, the Bolivian presidential candidate who appeared Sunday to have won enough votes to force a runoff with the incumbent President Morales, accused the ruling party of foul play on Monday as election officials stopped updating the vote count. | Carlos Mesa, the Bolivian presidential candidate who appeared Sunday to have won enough votes to force a runoff with the incumbent President Morales, accused the ruling party of foul play on Monday as election officials stopped updating the vote count. |
| “This government is trying to block the path to a second round, which was clearly established yesterday,” Mr. Mesa told reporters. | “This government is trying to block the path to a second round, which was clearly established yesterday,” Mr. Mesa told reporters. |
| Because Mr. Mesa appears more likely to get the backing of rival candidates presidential candidates that participated in the election, Mr. Morales would face a daunting fight in a second round. It would be held in December. | Because Mr. Mesa appears more likely to get the backing of rival candidates presidential candidates that participated in the election, Mr. Morales would face a daunting fight in a second round. It would be held in December. |
| Addressing supporters Sunday night, Mr. Morales characterized the result as a major victory and did not concede that there would be a second round. | Addressing supporters Sunday night, Mr. Morales characterized the result as a major victory and did not concede that there would be a second round. |
| Election officials on Monday did not respond to questions about why the vote results had not been updated. | Election officials on Monday did not respond to questions about why the vote results had not been updated. |
| The Organization of American States, which deployed a large team of election observers on Sunday, expressed alarm and called on election officials to explain why they had stopped updating results. Several governments in the region also expressed alarm. | The Organization of American States, which deployed a large team of election observers on Sunday, expressed alarm and called on election officials to explain why they had stopped updating results. Several governments in the region also expressed alarm. |
| “Electoral authorities should immediately restore credibility and transparency to the process so that the will of the people will be respected,” Michael Kozak, the top American diplomat overseeing Latin America policy, said in a message on Twitter. | “Electoral authorities should immediately restore credibility and transparency to the process so that the will of the people will be respected,” Michael Kozak, the top American diplomat overseeing Latin America policy, said in a message on Twitter. |
| Brazil’s Foreign Ministry also expressed concern by what it called the “lack of response from election officials” about vote counting information. | Brazil’s Foreign Ministry also expressed concern by what it called the “lack of response from election officials” about vote counting information. |
| Mr. Morales, 59, has been in office since 2006, making him the longest-serving head of state in Latin America. His bid for a fourth consecutive term has been criticized at home and abroad as a breach of Bolivia’s democratic rules. | Mr. Morales, 59, has been in office since 2006, making him the longest-serving head of state in Latin America. His bid for a fourth consecutive term has been criticized at home and abroad as a breach of Bolivia’s democratic rules. |
| Bolivia’s Constitution, which was passed during Mr. Morales’s first term, says presidents may serve no more than two consecutive terms. | Bolivia’s Constitution, which was passed during Mr. Morales’s first term, says presidents may serve no more than two consecutive terms. |
| In 2016, Mr. Morales put forward a referendum seeking to do away with that limit and lost by a narrow margin. The following year, however, Bolivia’s Constitutional Court gave Mr. Morales the green light to run again, issuing a contentious ruling that held that term limits infringe on basic human rights. | In 2016, Mr. Morales put forward a referendum seeking to do away with that limit and lost by a narrow margin. The following year, however, Bolivia’s Constitutional Court gave Mr. Morales the green light to run again, issuing a contentious ruling that held that term limits infringe on basic human rights. |
| While Mr. Morales has been recognized for transformational policies that reduced inequality, empowered indigenous people and made Bolivia’s economy an exemplar in the region, many of his fellow citizens now want him gone. | While Mr. Morales has been recognized for transformational policies that reduced inequality, empowered indigenous people and made Bolivia’s economy an exemplar in the region, many of his fellow citizens now want him gone. |
| Critics say he has become increasingly authoritarian, accusing him of abusing his influence over the judicial system to intimidate or sideline political rivals. They also contend that the government has wasted money on unnecessary projects, including a new 29-story presidential building, at a time when the economy is showing signs of strain. | Critics say he has become increasingly authoritarian, accusing him of abusing his influence over the judicial system to intimidate or sideline political rivals. They also contend that the government has wasted money on unnecessary projects, including a new 29-story presidential building, at a time when the economy is showing signs of strain. |
| Mr. Mesa noted that election officials had promised to release comprehensive preliminary results promptly after the polls closed. | Mr. Mesa noted that election officials had promised to release comprehensive preliminary results promptly after the polls closed. |
| “The longer it takes to learn the final results, the more chance there will be for manipulation,” he said. | “The longer it takes to learn the final results, the more chance there will be for manipulation,” he said. |