Movement for Socialism – Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples

Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS; más in Spanish means "more" ) is the name of a left-wing collective movement in Bolivia, led by Evo Morales. Will provide you with Evo Morales since the end of 2005 the President of Bolivia.

The MAS was founded in 1997 from the Association of ASP ( Asamblea por la de los Pueblos Soberanía ) born with different populist political parties and other social organizations, trade unions and neighborhood organizations. Your full name is " Movimiento al Socialismo - Instrumento Político por la de los Pueblos Soberanía " (MAS - IPSP ), "Movement for Socialism - Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples".

History

At the first election in 1997 after the establishment of the MAS received 3.9 percent of the vote.

2002 parliamentary elections

Strong, even international attention was the MAS at the Bolivian Parliament elections in 2002. She received 20.94% of the votes and became the second largest party in Parliament. Even then, under the leadership of Evo Morales would theoretically can ask the President by the coalition, which made the result especially interesting. Because of content differences but came a coalition out of the question.

By MAS represented receivables in the election year of 2002, a setting in particular the US-backed fight against drugs and a developing legal markets for the product coca leaf. At the legalization of cocaine and its production was not intended. Another issue in the election campaign was the great displeasure with the neo-liberalism ascribed to changes in the country such as the privatization of state and municipal enterprises. Social measures such as education and health care should be increased dramatically. The program of the MAS differs substantially from the party program of the ASP. However, this remains as a guide for further developments.

2005 parliamentary elections

After a very restless, even bloody transitional period in which no apparent progress has been made ​​except for the holding of a referendum, drew the MAS again in 2005 in the election campaign. Had to go to the election date in the meantime the political spectrum highly fragmented, as was observed a strong political bearing formation. The campaign culminated in a duel between an anti-American block, the Morales embodied, and the neo-liberal bloc that Jorge Quiroga board the Alliance Poder Democratico Social ( PODEMOS ).

The program of the MAS in 2005 rested on five pillars:

  • The nationalization of the natural gas industry, according to the results of the referendum of 2004, the nationalization should be done by renegotiating the existing support concessions and other contracts.
  • Land that is not used for purely speculative reasons, should fall to the state. So are preferably lands of big landowners meant in the fertile lowlands, the more frequently originating from the plateau of the country landless families were last occupied.
  • Formation of a constituent assembly that will draft a new constitution.
  • Fight against corruption and the state structures that enable corruption.
  • Austerity policies in all areas, in favor of education and health for the masses.

The MAS went with 54% emerged as the strongest force in the parliamentary elections. It now makes with Evo Morales the President of Bolivia, the first indigenous president in the 180 -year history of the country.

The MAS is not a socialist or even social democratic party dominated European-style, as the above several times reigning MIR (Movement of the Revolutionary Left ), which presented the President of the Republic with Jaime Paz Zamora of 1989-1993. MAS represents an indigenous, popular and nationalist dominated socialism and is an opponent of so-called "Western" culture, on the other hand PODEMOS ( conservative to social democratic ) represents. Proponents of indigenous ways of life, clear social and gender roles, a separation of private and public space, traditional medicine, Community Justice, etc. have their political home with the MAS.

Referendum 2009

On Sunday, January 25, 2009, a new constitution was adopted by referendum in Bolivia.

2009 parliamentary elections

In the parliamentary elections of 2009, the MAS has received more than 64 % of the vote.

Left-wing politics Erythroxylum coca Social and Democratic Power
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