LA PAZ (Reuters) – Bolivia’s Congress has given leftist President Evo Morales the go-ahead to make top judicial appointments in legislation that his opponents say gives him too much power.
Opposition lawmakers said the law passed late on Friday deals a blow to checks and balances in the poor Andean country by granting Morales authority to appoint interim supreme and constitutional court judges.
The first indigenous president of the natural-gas rich nation already controls the legislature after his landslide re-election in December.
The law stipulates that any interim appointments by Morales in the judiciary will only last until December when permanent supreme and constitutional court judges will be elected in a nationwide vote.
Right-wing Senator Maria Elva Pinckert held up placards that said “Democracy died today” and “Democracy, rest in peace” during Friday’s session of Congress, local media reported.
Ruling party lawmakers argue that the law is necessary to deal with thousands of cases pending in the courts and reduce chronic delays in the administration of justice.
Several court posts remain empty because Morales was not previously able to secure the two-thirds majority in Congress needed to appoint replacements for judges who had resigned.