Bolivia's judicial elections, the only ones of their kind in the world, are set to take place on Sunday amid widespread voter apathy, political tensions, and accusations of judicial manipulation. The vote, a partial election for four of the nine seats on the Constitutional Court, comes as the country grapples with a polarized political landscape and concerns over the integrity of its justice system. This marks Bolivia's third judicial election since the system was introduced in 2009 under then-President Evo Morales. Originally billed as a way to democratize the judiciary and purge corruption, the elections have instead faced criticism for turning the courts into political tools for the ruling party. The unique system replaced traditional judicial nominations based on qualifications with popular elections. However, Bolivians have increasingly viewed the process as opaque and partisan. Past elections in 2011 and 2017 saw a majority of voters cast null or blank ballots, expressing frustration at the lack of transparency and the dominance of ruling-party allies in candidate selection. "People don't know who they're voting for," said Marisol Nogales, a 25-year-old student in La Paz. "I'll flip a coin." Experts argue that the elections have allowed the ruling party to consolidate power, turning the judiciary into a political weapon. Political analyst Paul Coca noted that the Constitutional Court has become a "super power," playing a decisive role in shaping Bolivia's political future. The elections, originally scheduled for late 2023, were postponed by the Constitutional Court, which is stacked with allies of President Luis Arce. Critics say the delay was an attempt to extend the mandates of judges favorable to Arce and to counter the influence of Morales, his former mentor and current rival within their leftist political movement. Sunday's vote will fill only four Constitutional Court seats, leaving the majority of sitting judges, seen as aligned with Arce, in place. The struggle over the judiciary has significant implications for Bolivia's 2025 presidential election. Morales, who led the country for 14 years, faces mounting legal challenges, including a revived statutory rape case and a ruling barring him from running for office. Morales accuses the judiciary, which he once overhauled to extend his own political tenure, of being weaponized against him by Arce's administration. "They've been trying to destroy me morally, legally, and politically," Morales told the AP. Meanwhile, Arce has cited internal divisions within their party as justification for delaying the elections. Critics, however, view the move as a bid to maintain control over the judiciary ahead of the next presidential contest. Bolivia's judicial elections have drawn attention from abroad, particularly in Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum has inherited a controversial judicial overhaul spearheaded by her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Mexico's National Electoral Institute sent observers to La Paz to monitor the process, as the country prepares to implement its own system of judicial elections. Bolivian Electoral Tribunal Vice President Francisco Vargas admitted that Bolivia's sweeping judicial elections are unusual, even among countries like the U.S., Switzerland, and Japan that hold similar votes. When asked whether Mexico should adopt Bolivia's model, Vargas responded with a laugh, saying, "It might cause me some problems to answer that." Critics of Bolivia's judicial elections argue that they have undermined the judiciary's independence, cementing the ruling party's influence and exacerbating political divisions. The 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that allowed Morales to run for a fourth term, despite a referendum rejecting the move, remains a contentious example of the system's flaws. — Agencies
