Exit polls (that tend to underestimate Evo votes, but maybe the new system is more accurate) have Evo at between 61% and 63% and the clear winner of today’s presidential election. This compares to his previous 54% win, which speaks its own volume. Manfred Reyes Villas looks like polling around 23% to 25% (right in line with the pre-election opinion polls) and will be catching his flight tomorrow morning, for sure.
But the real win is in congress, where it looks like Evo’s MAS party has taken 25 of the 36 seats and has an absolute 2/3rds majority which will allow MAS to push through all the legislation it cares to push.
Finally, turnout looks very high on a first headcount. It will now be interesting to see just how well (or not) Evo did in the traditional oppostion states such as Santa Cruz. The detailed results will take a couple of days to filter through, but tonight Evo can enjoy a comprehensive victory in Bolivia.
Next week Chile, a place where the right always wins…. even when it calls itself the left.