The external voting right of Bolivians abroad: what role for emigrants in regime transformation in their homeland?

Abstract

In this chapter, we propose to analyze the development of the external votingissue in the Bolivian political context between 2003 and 2009. Examiningthe evolution of relations between the Bolivian Government and its diaspora(particularly after the coming to power of Evo Morales Ayma in 2006), we willdemonstrate how the topic has progressively become central within Bolivianpolitics and how emigrants have played an active part in their own enfranchisement.In particular, we will see how "the process of change" instigated bythe Morales government has found an extension among citizens abroad. To doso, we will analyse different government documents, public interventions andinterviews of civil servants and representatives of civil society organizations. After the first part of this article on the path to the adoption of the 2009 electorallaw enfranchising citizens abroad, we shall proceed to an analysis of theelectoral behaviour of citizens abroad based on an exit-poll survey conductedwith citizens abroad during the Presidential Election on 6th December 2009.