Bolivia Opposition Leader Is Declared President by Rival

Opposition leader Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada was declared president Wednesday by his ruling coalition rival, who stepped aside in a gesture praised for strengthening Bolivia’s emerging democracy.

Sanchez de Lozada, known as “Goni,” won about 36% in Sunday’s presidential and congressional campaign, only the third successive election since Bolivia returned to democracy in 1982 after the most violent period of military rule in its history.

Former dictator Gen. Hugo Banzer, in his fifth and self-avowed last fight for a democratic victory after he was ousted as military ruler in 1978, was pushed into second place.

But Sanchez de Lozada had less than the 50% needed to take the presidency outright and faced two months of negotiations to win enough votes to be nominated in August by Congress, which by law picks the president if no candidate has an absolute majority.

In the last election in 1989, Sanchez de Lozada also came in first, but he lost in Congress when Banzer, who placed second, backed third-placed Jaime Paz Zamora.

But on Wednesday, Banzer conceded defeat, telling a news conference that he will order his party’s Congress members to back Sanchez de Lozada if that is needed to ensure that the opposition leader is named president.

Analysts said Banzer’s withdrawal will spare Bolivia two months of political uncertainty.