LA PAZ - Bolivian voters went to the polls yesterday to choose a president from the former dictator, Gen Hugo Banzer, and the former president, Mr Jaime Paz Zamora, writes Michael McCaughan. An exit poll later gave victory to Gen Banzer. But he failed to win more than 50 per cent of the vote and therefore, under the Bolivian constitution, congress will decide between the top two candidates in the first round.
Gen Banzer took power in a bloody coup in 1971 and stayed in office for seven years. Before the vote he enjoyed about 25 per cent of voting intentions, despite his grim record of human rights violations.