Déjà vu – Another President Threatens to Resign

Bolivia's caretaker President, Eduardo Rodriguez, spoke to the nation on television Saturday night and threatened to resign if the Congress did not move swiftly to resolve the current uncertainty on if and when national elections will be held. It felt like last March all over again.

Then it was President Carlos Mesa who launched the threat, frustrated by the combination of a Congress, a business sector, an IMF, and a set of social movements who left him little room to govern. He warned the Congress that if it did not act as he requested on the gas issue he would take a walk. Eventually, in June, he did walk (more, I think because of wanting out than anything else). That put Bolivia into its current would-be unscheduled election season.

Now Rodriguez is playing the "act, or I am outta here" game. His frustration is understandable. By law he is obligated to serve up to 180 days as President and has made it clear from the start that his only interest is in holding democracy together until a new elected government can take office. Back and forth constitutional challenges have put that election in doubt now. A Rodriguez resignation before elections are held really does put Bolivia into the great unknown. Who takes over and how? The MNR President of the Senate? The army? No one? It is hard to believe that Rodriguez would play such a dark card if he didn't think that Congress needed a serious shove in order to resolve the crisis.

All this is a prelude to Tuesday, when the Bolivian Congress will meet and seek to debate and vote on a solution to the constitutional crisis. From the people I have talked to in Bolivian politics, I sense that there is a little wiggle room, i.e. the election could be delayed a few weeks to allow for implementation of some solution on redistribution of Congress seats. But anything less certain than that will be met with street demonstrations that will make May and June look sweet by comparison.