They create an app to select the opposition’s single candidate | Crean una App para elegir al candidato único de la oposición

By Marco Antonio Belmonte, Vision 360:

The population will be able to vote

Ronald MacLean, promoter of the open primaries initiative, explained that adopting an app is essential to return sovereignty to citizens, allowing them to choose and be chosen without state interference or the requirement of party membership.

Una imagen referencial sobre App.

A reference image about the app.

Former chancellor and La Paz mayor Ronald MacLean Abaroa announced the launch of a mobile application (app) that will allow citizens to vote and select a single opposition candidate for the 2025 presidential elections.

“I believe this contribution from civil society will enable Bolivians to access a more democratic way of doing politics, where each citizen can freely choose their preferred candidates without state interference or relying exclusively on political parties,” he stated.

The former La Paz mayor highlighted that this tool represents “an advanced form of cryptopolitics, meaning a democracy aligned with the technological advancements of this century, without intermediaries, granting autonomy and sovereignty to citizens.

“My greatest hope is that this app becomes a modern means of independence and freedom to choose and/or be chosen as a candidate,” he added.

He explained that the app – whose name has yet to be revealed – will restore popular will to the public without the mediation of caudillos. It will also allow “free association around shared principles and values, promoting political participation without submission to authoritarian figures.”

The application, available for free in virtual stores, will feature cutting-edge technology, ensuring an intuitive and reliable process, according to a press release.

MacLean described it as a major technological achievement that will allow Bolivians to register, vote, and participate in daily surveys. The process will start virtually and transition to an in-person election to preselect the best single opposition candidate and their slate of assembly members.

He added that the app could become a crucial tool amidst growing public demand for a unified and renewed alternative. He noted that widespread use of the app would mark “a significant leap in Bolivia’s political history by providing a digital pathway to consolidate direct and genuine citizen representation.”

During a meeting of the democratic movement “Unidad Disputada” held in La Paz, which included the participation of Cambio 25, MNR, Una Bolivia de otro modo, Al Bus, Partido Liberal Boliviano, Primero la Gente, and Unidad Nacional, coordinated by Deputy Miguel Roca, the official approval and adoption of the app was announced.

Following a digital voting period, an in-person election is planned, with voting tables and juries to elect the “single opposition candidate and their parliamentarians,” who will officially run with the support of one or more opposition parties before the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

“Let us remember that the TSE president has assured that there are no legal obstacles to conducting open primaries, as this is a citizen initiative without public funding or electoral authority oversight,” MacLean pointed out.

Finally, he explained that this democratic exercise would serve as a foundation for organizing citizen participation in Electoral Oversight for the 2025 national elections, using the app to record and consolidate electoral tally sheets.

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