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Bolivia's electoral tribunal concluded its count of general election votes on Friday and confirmed the controversial re-election of President Evo Morales despite opposition accusations of fraud.
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Sunday's vote sparked days of riots and protests after a sudden shift in the vote count on Monday extended Morales's lead over Carlos Mesa, helping him achieve the 10-point margin needed for outright victory.
According to the court, Morales won 47.08 percent of the votes versus former president Carlos Mesa's 36.51 percent.
Meanwhile, pressure grew both at home and abroad for Bolivia to hold a second round of voting, as more protests erupted against the results and the United Nations backed an audit of the vote amid fraud allegations.
Morales and his election rival, Mesa, have exchanged bitter words since the election, with Mesa accusing the president of staging “a monumental fraud” to win a fourth straight term.
Bolivias first indigenous president accused Mesa of seeking to oust him in a coup detat with international support.
In New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world body supports an audit of Bolivias election results to be done by the Organization of American States and he appealed to the government and the opposition “to keep the maximum restraint”.
The UN chief told reporters after meeting Bolivias Foreign Minister Diego Pary Rodríguez earlier Friday that the government and the OAS “have confirmed to us that there will be an audit”.
On Friday, street blockades went up in middle-class neighborhoods of La Paz, Bolivias capital. And each night, protesters have staged protests in front of the electoral tribunal, with police firing tear gas. Protests were also reported in Cochabamba.
'Respect for the vote'
In Santa Cruz, an opposition stronghold in the countrys west, the city was semi-paralysed by a strike to demand “respect for the vote”. Public transportation was scarce and there were sporadic clashes between groups of opposition protesters and Morales supporters.
Meanwhile, the US, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia called for Bolivia to hold a runoff between the incumbent and his top challenger.
A communique issued by Colombias foreign ministry on behalf of the US, Brazil and Argentina said the governments of the four nations “will only recognise results that reflect the will of the Bolivian people”.
The European Union took a similar stand, saying it backed a call by the Organization of American States for a second-round election that could help Bolivia regain its footing after days of sometimes violent protests by opposition supporters angered by the slow vote count and an unexplained 24-hour halt in the release of results.
“The European Union shares the OASs assessment that the best option would be to make a runoff to restore trust and ensure full respect for the democratic elections of the Bolivian people,” the EU said in a statement.
Morales has responded to electoral fraud accusations by saying a coup attempt is underway and urging his supporters to take to the streets to defend his victory.
The governments of Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico have congratulated him on his win.
