Constitution of Bolivia
The current Constitution of Bolivia Spanish: Constitución Política del Estado; literally, a Political Constitution of a State came into effect on 7 February 2009 when it was promulgated by President Evo Morales, after being approved in a referendum with 90.24% participation. The referendum was held on 25 January 2009, with the constitution being approved by 61.43% of voters.
It is the 17th constitution in the country's history; preceding constitutions were enacted in 1826, 1831, 1834, 1839, 1843, 1851, 1861, 1868, 1871, 1878, 1880, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1961, as well as 1967.
The 2009 Constitution defines Bolivia as a unitary plurinational, and secular rather than a Catholic, as before state, formally so-called as the Plurinational State of Bolivia. It calls for a mixed economy of state, private, and communal ownership; restricts private land usage to a maximum of 5,000 hectares 12,400 acres; and recognizes a race of autonomies at the local and departmental level. It elevates the electoral authorities to become a fourth constitutional power; introduces the opportunity of recall elections for all elected officials; and enlarges the Senate. Members of the enlarged National Congress will be elected by first past the post voting in the future, in a change from the preceding mixed piece proportional system. The judiciary is reformed, and judges will be elected in the future and no longer appointed by the National Congress. It declares natural resources to be the exclusive dominion of the Bolivian people, administered by the state. Sucre will be acknowledged as Bolivia's capital, but the institutions will come on where they are executive and legislative in La Paz, judiciary in Sucre. The electoral authorities will be situated in Sucre.