Bolivian President resigns amid election protests

Bolivian President Evo Morales has resigned after nearly 14 years in power, amid turmoil following his disputed re-election last month.

The head of the army had called on him to go after protests over his election win.

Auditors found irregularities with the poll but Mr Morales said he had been the victim of a coup.
He said he was leaving to help protect families of political allies, after their homes were burned down.

In a televised address, Mr Morales urged protesters to "stop attacking the brothers and sisters, stop burning and attacking".

On the streets of La Paz, celebration - for millions of Bolivians, the demise of the region's longest-standing president could not have come soon enough.

In the end it was a call by the armed forces that signalled the end, telling Evo Morales he had to go for the sake of Bolivia's stability.

But while for many he was an undemocratic leader holding on to power, for others, especially poor Bolivians, Evo Morales was a president who gave a voice to millions. The first indigenous leader Bolivia ever had, he succeeded in making a deeply unequal society more inclusive.

His supporters have called this a coup - his detractors the end of tyranny. These are uncertain days in South America's poorest nation.

Source: Agencies

Dhaka/Mukul