16-10-2014: Latin American Weekly Report

President Evo Morales became Bolivia’s longest serving head of state with a resounding victory on 12 October. Morales secured re-election with a margin of victory of more than 30 percentage points over his closest rival, Samuel Doria Medina of Unidad Demócrata (UD). His ruling left-wing Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) strengthened its presence across Bolivia, winning eight of the nine departments, up from six in 2009. With the elec- toral authorities (TSE) due to announce the final results on 22 October - a delay which, along with other procedural problems, has been widely criti- cised (see sidebar) - the one uncertainty is whether Morales will achieve his goal of a two-thirds majority in the 166-member bicameral legislature.