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| Bolivian forum moved to army base | Bolivian forum moved to army base |
| (about 10 hours later) | |
| Leaders of an assembly drafting a new constitution in Bolivia say they have decided to move the forum to a military school amid security concerns. | Leaders of an assembly drafting a new constitution in Bolivia say they have decided to move the forum to a military school amid security concerns. |
| Protests have erupted outside the assembly's seat in Sucre, halting its work which is due to end next month. | Protests have erupted outside the assembly's seat in Sucre, halting its work which is due to end next month. |
| One dispute is whether La Paz or Sucre should be the sole capital city. | One dispute is whether La Paz or Sucre should be the sole capital city. |
| Assembly leaders said they would reconvene at the base outside Sucre on Friday but opposition leaders said they would not attend an "illegal" session. | Assembly leaders said they would reconvene at the base outside Sucre on Friday but opposition leaders said they would not attend an "illegal" session. |
| It was one of the central demands of the mass social movements which helped to get President Evo Morales elected in 2005 that Bolivia's constitution be rewritten to give more rights to the indigenous majority. | It was one of the central demands of the mass social movements which helped to get President Evo Morales elected in 2005 that Bolivia's constitution be rewritten to give more rights to the indigenous majority. |
| A constituent assembly was elected and established some 16 months ago to draft a new charter. It had been due to deliver a draft new constitution at the beginning of August this year. | A constituent assembly was elected and established some 16 months ago to draft a new charter. It had been due to deliver a draft new constitution at the beginning of August this year. |
| But repeated demonstrations over the proposed changes have disrupted the work of the assembly, which is now due to deliver its draft in December. | But repeated demonstrations over the proposed changes have disrupted the work of the assembly, which is now due to deliver its draft in December. |
| One of the key sticking points has been the designation of the country's capital. | One of the key sticking points has been the designation of the country's capital. |
| Regional rivalry | Regional rivalry |
| Sucre has seen weeks of unrest with protesters taking to the streets to demand that a proposal be debated to make the city the sole capital. | Sucre has seen weeks of unrest with protesters taking to the streets to demand that a proposal be debated to make the city the sole capital. |
| Demonstrators in Sucre want to reclaim the title of capital citySucre, currently home to the Supreme Court, was Bolivia's capital until 1899 but since then has shared the title with La Paz. | Demonstrators in Sucre want to reclaim the title of capital citySucre, currently home to the Supreme Court, was Bolivia's capital until 1899 but since then has shared the title with La Paz. |
| Demand for the return of the seat of government to Sucre has fuelled a regional rivalry between President Morales' supporters in Bolivia's poor western highlands and his opponents in the more prosperous east. | Demand for the return of the seat of government to Sucre has fuelled a regional rivalry between President Morales' supporters in Bolivia's poor western highlands and his opponents in the more prosperous east. |
| There have also been counter-demonstrations in La Paz, where protesters say switching the capital from Bolivia's largest city, with a population of 1.7 million, to Sucre, population 250,000, would be expensive and divisive. |