Evo Morales Retains Huge Lead in Bolivia's Presidential Poll

TeleSUR

Bolivian President Evo Morales is the clear favorite to win the general elections on October 12, a new UNITEL poll shows.

The poll released Monday shows that Morales, of the Movement Towards Socialism, is likely to win the election with 54 percent of the vote and has a 40 point lead over his Democratic Unity Party rival, Samuel Doria. The rightwing candidate is on fourteen points, followed by former president Jorge Quiroga of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) with seven points.

More than six million people are expected to go to the polls to choose a president and vice-president, as well as 36 senators and 130 deputies.

Bolivia’s first indigenous president has gained popularity through the wide-ranging socio-economic achievements made during his term of office in the Andean nation. The nationalization of strategic sectors, including hydrocarbons, mining and telecommunications has provided significant funds for social and educational programs.

Morales is also seen to have empowered indigenous and farming communities, especially among the coca growers. Morale’s is the first president to come Bolivia’s indigenous minority.

The Union of South American Nations (Unasur) intends to send forty observers to Bolivia to witness the electoral process.

The latest poll was conducted among 2,410 adults in 101 urban and rural communities in Bolivia, with a 1.99 percent margin of error.