USAID/OTI Bolivia Field Report
November 2004
Program Description
The OTI/Bolivia program promotes peaceful participation in El Alto and other marginalized communities and increases access to balanced information on issues of national importance. Specifically, the program supports peaceful dialogue and civic education through mass media, theatre, discussion groups for youth, and other forums, providing balanced information and opportunities for dialogue on issues of national concern and civic education training. It also expands economic opportunity by supporting short-term, community-based activities in distressed areas, such as El Alto and the altiplano, which are designed to increase self-reliance. Issues affecting youth and indigenous groups are cross-cutting themes in all of OTI/Bolivia's work. OTI's implementing partner is Casals and Associates and the FY 2004 budget was $6.3 million, and FY 2005 is $5.5 million.
Country Situation
Municipal Elections – The December elections for 327 municipalities have been the focus of national attention in November as political propaganda and campaign rallies intensify weekly. The low levels of support for traditional political parties, especially in the altiplano, was evident as political party candidates from MNR, MIR and others were not always welcome in debates and other fora. However, for the most part, the pre-electoral period has been peaceful and most expect continued calm in the run-up to the December 5 vote.
The Politics of the Hydrocarbons Law – Deputies in the Lower House of Congress passed a draft hydrocarbons law that would require obligatory migration of existing contracts to the new legislation and would increase taxes. These two legal provisions are the most controversial and have therefore been in debate since August. The executive branch did not send ministers to participate in the final discussions of the law in response to Congress's refusal to consider executive branch proposals.
The debate on the hydrocarbon law will continue in the lower chamber, which has significant time to revise the current draft, and then in the Senate. Congress expects to vote on the final bill in early 2005.
Demand for Regional Autonomy – Calls for a referendum on regional autonomy came to a head in November as the Santa Cruz civic committee, with support from the civic committee of Tarija, organized a city strike to demand government action on a referendum. The longstanding divisions between east and west, or lowlands and highlands, in Bolivia have been exacerbated by the hydrocarbons debate. Santa Cruz, where many of the large oilfields and hydrocarbons companies are located, is frustrated by the draft hydrocarbons legislation that many Crucenos believe do not represent their regional interests. The very vocal Santa Cruz civic committee (comprised of business representatives, unions and other groups) successfully put the issue in the national spotlight by organizing a number of nationwide civic committee meetings to discuss issues of common concern. While the Government's original position was that autonomy should be discussed within the framework of the Constituent Assembly, it has backed down and said it would back a congressional sponsored law (according to the Constitution, a president can call a referendum only once during his term). Congress is now considering a bill to hold a referendum prior to April 2005.
Judicial Appointments Declared Unconstitutional – The Constitutional Court declared that the 17 judicial branch nominations made by President Mesa in early August are unconstitutional. The Executive's right to nominate judges and other key positions can be exercised only when Congress is in recess and according to the Constitutional Court Congress was not technically in recess during that period. If this ruling is upheld, Congress will have 90 days (until mid-January) to either confirm the presidential nominees or make its own selection. The Court has denied Mesa's request to reconsider their ruling. The Mesa Government and many observers have called the court rulings a political decision that seeks to destabilize the government.
Congress has said that it will begin the nomination process in January following its recess. Until Mesa made the 17 nominations last August, these positions had been vacant or with interim appointees for years awaiting Congress's final nominees. Many of the Constitutional Court judges were appointed during the Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada administration.
Social Demands – The Federation of Neighborhood associations in El Alto, Fejuve, called for two citywide strikes this month. Grievances included a demand that the government renegotiate the concession to the water plant that supplies the municipality with most of its water needs, in addition to longstanding demands of immediate passage of hydrocarbons legislation and citywide gas connections. The first strike shut down El Alto and the routes to other parts of the country for a half-day. The second strike was averted, for the time being, when the government promised to provide 44 million household gas connections and review the disputes with the water company. Fejuve postponed the strike until December while it can study the Government's response.
USAID/OTI Highlights
A. Narrative Summary
As in October, OTI Bolivia's primary emphasis in activities and spending was on civic and voter education activities related to the municipal elections. OTI's support for these elections seeks to prevent future municipal conflict by helping both citizens and candidates better understand municipal authorities' competencies and roles. As during the referendum, the materials and activities supported by OTI were one of the few forums for the exchange of information in the altiplano. OTI produced over 200,000 copies of eight different types of educational materials that were distributed at workshops and public gatherings in almost 70 different provinces of the Department of La Paz, and several conflictive municipalities in the Department of Cochabamba. OTI also provided the National Electoral Court with a grant to prepare three different informational pamphlets on different aspects of the electoral process that were distributed in over 20 newspapers nationwide.
In El Alto, OTI helped grantees organize an unprecedented series of thematically oriented debates for all municipal election candidates. Six of OTI's grantees worked together to prepare and host five debates which gave citizens an opportunity to ask questions and hear candidates views specifically on youth, the role of neighborhood associations, promotion of women and micro-enterprise. For many of the new, non-party candidates, who did not have the resources and name recognition to conduct voter outreach, this was the only opportunity to present their platform and get citizen feedback.
In addition, OTI supported the Ministry of Popular Participation to organize debates in over 150 rural municipalities throughout the country. These debates, which coincided with market day or festivals in order to ensure widespread rural participation, drew hundreds of interested citizens. The debates culminated in the signing of declarations by outgoing elected officials and candidates designed to ensure a transparent and stable transition between the old and new administrations.
Five of the 10 new grants approved in November were for schools in El Alto (and one school in the nearby Viacha municipality) funded through USAID Bolivia's basic education funds, and implemented by OTI. OTI now has a total of 14 education-related grants in this sector, with a total obligated amount of $234,366. OTI's school grants focus on four areas of improvement including the provision of school furniture, infrastructure upgrade, computer labs and reference books. The 14 education grants are joint agreements with each school administration and parent group.
B. Grants Activity Summary
Ten new grants totaling $209,900 ($242,019 including amendments to ongoing grants) in new obligations were approved in November. This brings OTI Bolivia's total of approved grants to 135 grants, amounting to $3.53 million.
| 1. Municipal Elections |
|
|
21 |
$803,767 |
| 2. Civic Education |
|
|
16 |
$283,247 |
| 3. Communications GOB |
|
|
15 |
$587,715 |
| 4. Community Social Services |
2 |
$26,600 |
5 |
$ 95,091 |
| 5. Constituent Assembly |
1 |
$50,100 |
12 |
$428,844 |
| 6. Economic Information |
|
|
9 |
$106,703 |
| 7. Job Creation/Income Generation |
2 |
$44,500 |
10 |
$155,034 |
| 8. Legal Identity (Documentation) |
|
|
3 |
$ 38,137 |
| 9. Natural Gas Conversion/ Consumption |
|
|
4 |
$ 93,894 |
| 10. Other Political |
|
|
1 |
$ 42,490 |
| 11. Professional Skills Training |
|
|
3 |
$ 66,013 |
| 12. Referendum |
|
|
17 |
$526,233 |
| 13. School Reconstruction and Education |
5 |
$88,350 |
16 |
$289,295 |
| Total |
10 |
$209,550 |
132 |
$3,516,463 |
C. Indicators of Success
Municipal Elections –OTI's success with regard to the municipal elections can be demonstrated by the populations programs have reached, the demand for project materials and program impact on the conduct of leaders. OTI programs have brought political awareness to conflicted areas in the department of La Paz. OTI grantees have been able to work directly with citizens and community leaders to organize dozens of information sessions in areas such as Achacachi. In this town, considered by some to be politically intolerant, NGOs used the slogan "We are not a savage town; we are a town without information."
The educational materials produced by OTI partners for the municipal election (example seen in the picture) are in demand and several Bolivian organizations have requested permission to reprint thousands of copies. Demand for these materials may continue after the elections, as several of the documents focus on municipal governance competencies.
OTI was also successful in encouraging transparency in the election. In the presence of hundreds of onlookers, outgoing mayors in 150 of the country's 327 municipalities signed transparent transition accords with their potential successors for office, committing to turn over all information related to their tenure. Many municipal conflicts in Bolivia have their roots in poor hand-overs between authorities in which departing officials have destroyed all records from their administration.
Economic Opportunity/Government Transparency –The Buy Bolivia decree, which prioritizes Bolivian suppliers for state procurement processes up to one million dollars, is a primary mechanism for the state to respond to demands to help nascent Bolivian industry. OTI is working with both the government and industry to help educate business and public servants on the regulations while also working with Bolivian industry to help better meet demands.
As a result of OTI's support to a private sector institute to provide technical assistance to business' interested in municipal contracts, these trade fairs have become the primary means for to help connect Bolivian business with public sector. Significantly, the armed forces, police and national health board have asked for the institute's help in organizing similar fairs for their procurement needs, which surpass 180 million dollars a year.
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
OTI expects to increasingly focus on the Constituent Assembly. In addition, OTI will increase its support to the Buy Bolivia campaign through providing technical assistance to municipalities in the country's ten departments on the organization of trade fairs.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington, D.C: Amy Frumin, LAC Program Manager, 202-712-4231, afrumin@usaid.gov
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