It was trumpeted as the first attempt by President Evo Morales since taking office in 2006 at bringing together political parties to discuss the national agenda. However, like the ‘plurinational social summit’ which took place in Cochabamba last December [WR-11-50] – another unprecedented attempt at including new sectors in policymaking – the event was a flop. The embarrassment to Morales should not be over-exaggerated given the strength of the economy and lack of imminent elections. Yet local critics discern in his overtures a new awareness of the need for consensus and the vulnerability of his Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) government, which incurred its first electoral defeat last year in judicial elections [WR-11-42]. End of preview - This article contains approximately 741 words.
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