Bolivian Vice President Confident About Electoral Win

Bolivia’s governing party Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) says it believes that control of the national legislature may be up for grabs, but that it will secure a new presidential term with a resounding victory.

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Bolivian vice president, Alvaro Garcia Linera of MAS says he's confident that Evo Morales will win the upcoming presidential elections, Oct. 20.

"We’re working to secure a first-round victory," said Linera in an interview with EFE in La Paz. "The polls ... indicate that MAS is rising. (The momentum) slows down at times, but then it picks up again."

However, the Morales running mate who has been a part of each administration since the head of state became the nation's first Indigenous leader in 2006, said what is at stake is control of the national legislature.

"We’re confident that we’re going to win in the first round and we’re going to have a majority in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate," added Linera. "The question in these elections is whether we’re going to have two-thirds (majority) like in the 2014 election, otherwise we will go back to a divided government with one of the chambers under opposition control, which happened in 2005."

Another key factor for an effective presidency is middle class support “to stimulate processes of intellectual and moral leadership,” said LInera.

"Over the past 13 years we’ve managed to bring nearly 30 percent of the population into the middle class. It’s a new middle class of working class and Indigenous origin," he said.

"We’re confident that a large section of that middle class, which is the fruit of a process of change and still carries the symbols of their popular, Indigenous identity, will support the MAS in a big way."

A recent poll published by CELAG, gave Evo Morales 38.8 percent of voter support, a 13.4 percent lead over his nearest rival, Carlos Mesa with 25.4 percent. Third place will likely go to Oscar Ortiz with 11.3 percent. This means that Morales is on course for a first-round victory.

According to Bolivian law, only 40 percent is required to win in first round if the candidate is at least 10 points ahead of their nearest rival.

Since coming to power, the leftist movement leader has nationalized the country's large natural gas reserves, along with other natural resources and strategic companies. Bolivia is now one of the only countries in the region to offer universal health care, recently implemented under Morales. He has launched a string of social programs aimed at helping the most vulnerable sectors of the population.