BOLIVIANS WERE SUNDAY VOTING IN A TWIN POLL THAT WILL SEE 255 MEMBERS ELECTED TO A NEW CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY AS WELL AS DECIDE THE ISSUE OF WHETHER THE COUNTRY'S NINE PROVINCES SHOULD HAVE MORE AUTONOMY, ACCORDING TO DPA. AT THE HEART OF THE VOTE IS THE ISSUE OF CONTROL OF BOLIVIA'S VAST ENERGY WEALTH, AND WHETHER VOTERS WILL BACK PRESIDENT EVO MORALES' TAKEOVER OF THE OIL INDUSTRY OR MANDATE THE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES TO HAVE MORE SAY ON MATTERS INCLUDING THE ENERGY QUESTION. THE NEW CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY WILL HAVE ONE YEAR TO DRAFT A NEW CONSTITUTION FOR THE COUNTRY, WHICH WILL THEN BE VOTED ON IN A REFERENDUM. THE VOTE, IN WHICH AROUND 3.7 MILLIONS ARE ENTITLED TO CAST THEIR BALLOT, IS SEEN AS A TEST OF THE POPULARITY OF MORALES, THE LEFTIST POPULIST AND THE FIRST PRESIDENT IN BOLIVIAN HISTORY FROM THE COUNTRY'S INDIGENOUS ETHNIC MAJORITY. RESULTS FROM THE POLLS WERE EXPECTED MONDAY. THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY IS TO CONVENE ON AUGUST 6. SUNDAY MARKS THE FOURTH TIME BOLIVIANS HAVE VOTED IN NATIONAL ELECTIONS IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS.
