Evo Morales Ready to Continue Serving Bolivian People

Bolivian President Evo Morales said Friday he would run for reelection if the Bolivian people request it and vote in favor of modifying the constitution to allow for two consecutive reelections. 

“If the people want me and (Vicepresident) Alvaro Garcia Linera we are ready to continue serving the Bolivian people … This depends greatly on the Bolivian people, their consciousness and their vote,” Morales told the EFE news agency. 

Morales added that he was taken by “surprise” by the outpouring of support from social movements for his reelection. 

Last month the Bolivian parliament approved a bill to partially amend the constitution and allow for two consecutive reelections. Presently the constitution allows for a single consecutive reelection. 

The change is subject to national referendum, due to be held next February, to determine if the country’s current President Morales will be allowed to run in the 2019 presidential election.

The move to reform the constitution and allow for Morales to seek another term is born out of a grassroots initiative by social movements. 

Thousands of Bolivians marched in September to the country's Plurinational Legislative Assembly to deliver their request for a constitutional reform that would modify term limits for the president and vice-president. 

Grassroots social leaders said at the time that they were seeking this change because they support the work of the President and believe in the need to continue the process of change initiated by Morales' arrival to the presidency in 2006. 

"Workers and social organizations will not jeopardize this process of change, and that is why we are supporting the reelection of President Morales," said Rolando Borda of the Santa Cruz Regional Workers' Center. 

Morales was reelected to the presidency in October, 2014 with over 61 percent support, his current term expires in 2020.