1951 Bolivian general election

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1951 Bolivian general election
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
  1947 6 May 1951 1956  
Registered204,649
Presidential election
  Paz Estenssoro.jpg Gabriel Gosalvez.jpg Bernardino Bilbao Rioja (CROPPED).jpg
Nominee Víctor Paz Estenssoro Gabriel Gosálvez Bernardino Bilbao Rioja
Party MNR PURS FSB
Popular vote54,12940,38113,259
Percentage42.91%32.01%10.51%

  Tomas Manuel Elio - 3.jpg
Nominee Guillermo Gutiérrez Vea Murguía Tomás Manuel Elío
Party ACB Liberal
Popular vote6,6546,530
Percentage5.27%5.17%

President before election

Mamerto Urriolagoitía
PURS

Elected President

Election results annulled
President Urriolagoitía enacts a self-coup.
Brigadier General Hugo Ballivián becomes de facto president

Contents

General elections were held in Bolivia on 6 May 1951. [1] Víctor Paz Estenssoro of the opposition Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) received the most votes in the presidential election, but as he did not obtain an absolute majority, the National Congress was constitutionally obliged to elect a President on 6 August from the three candidates who received the most public votes. However, on 16 May a military junta assumed responsibility for the Government with Brigadier General Hugo Ballivián as President.

The National Congress was ultimately dissolved by Supreme Decree of 7 June, 1951, which annulled the results of the elections. [2]

Electoral system

Until 1956, Bolivia did not have universal suffrage. Rather, the country operated under the "qualified vote" system in which deputies elected in parish and provincial boards then voted in general elections. [3] Under this system, ballots for president and vice president were separate resulting in different vote totals for each.

Campaign

The Republican Socialist Unity Party (PURS) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) formed the Social Democratic Action alliance to contest the election, with Gabriel Gosalvez of PURS running for President and Roberto Arce of the PSD running for Vice-President.

Results

President

CandidatePartyVotes%
Víctor Paz Estenssoro Revolutionary Nationalist Movement 54,12942.92
Gabriel Gosálvez Republican Socialist Unity Party 40,38132.02
Bernardino Bilbao Rioja Bolivian Socialist Falange 13,25910.51
Guillermo Gutiérrez Vea Murguía Bolivian Civic Action 6,6545.28
Tomás Manuel Elío Liberal Party 6,5305.18
José Antonio Arze Revolutionary Left Party 5,1704.10
Total126,123100.00
Registered voters/turnout204,649
Source: Nohlen

Vice-President

CandidatePartyVotes%
Hernán Siles Zuazo Revolutionary Nationalist Movement 52,60243.25
Roberto Arce Social Democratic Party 38,20231.41
Alfredo Flores Bolivian Socialist Falange 12,39710.19
Julio Salmón Bolivian Civic Action 6,7785.57
Bailón Mercado Liberal Party 6,5585.39
Abelardo Villalpando Retamozo Revolutionary Left Party 5,0934.19
Total121,630100.00
Registered voters/turnout204,649
Source: OEP

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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p133 ISBN   978-0-19-928358-3
  2. Political Handbook of the World 1956, New York, 1956. p14
  3. "Voto calificado y voto universal". Opinión Bolivia (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 March 2021.

Bibliography