Bolivia lawmakers and courts agree on judicial elections amid legislative‑court power clash

Vice‑president Edman Lara said that Bolivia’s legislative forces reached a political agreement to respect the Constitution in the election of magistrates for the Constitutional Tribunal and the Supreme Court. The emergency meeting, called over fears of a judicial shutdown, was attended by leaders of the PDC, Libre, Súmate, Alianza Popular and indigenous representatives of MAS; the opposition alliance Unidad did not sign. The parties agreed to reject appointments by law and to hold judicial elections, while urging the Assembly to fast‑track legislation governing the courts’ transitional operation.

Separately, legal analysts note a growing dispute as the Assembly plans to return the list of substitute magistrates to the Supreme Court, reviving a competence conflict. The Constitution gives the Court the right to propose candidates and the Assembly the authority to appoint from that list. If the Assembly rejects the Court’s proposals, it may be encroaching on judicial competence, a matter that the Constitutional Chamber is empowered to resolve.