1951 Bolivian general election

General elections were held in Bolivia on 6 May 1951.[1] Víctor Paz Estenssoro of the opposition Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) received the most votes in the presidential election, but as he did not obtain an absolute majority, the National Congress was constitutionally obliged to elect a President on 6 August from the three candidates who received the most public votes. However, on 16 May a military junta assumed responsibility for the Government with Brigadier General Hugo Ballivián as President.

1951 Bolivian general election
6 May 1951
Registered204,649
Presidential election
 
Nominee Víctor Paz Estenssoro Gabriel Gosálvez Bernardino Bilbao Rioja
Party MNR PURS FSB
Popular vote 54,129 40,381 13,259
Percentage 42.91% 32.01% 10.51%
 
Nominee Guillermo Gutiérrez Vea Murguía Tomás Manuel Elío
Party ACB Liberal
Popular vote 6,654 6,530
Percentage 5.27% 5.17%
President before election

Mamerto Urriolagoitía
PURS

 Elected President

Election results annulled
President Urriolagoitía enacts a self-coup.
Brigadier General Hugo Ballivián becomes de facto president

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The National Congress was ultimately dissolved by Supreme Decree of 7 June, 1951, which annulled the results of the elections.[2]

Electoral system

Until 1956, Bolivia did not have universal suffrage. Rather, the country operated under the "qualified vote" system in which deputies elected in parish and provincial boards then voted in general elections.[3] Under this system, ballots for president and vice president were separate resulting in different vote totals for each.

Campaign

The Republican Socialist Unity Party (PURS) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) formed the Social Democratic Action alliance to contest the election, with Gabriel Gosalvez of PURS running for President and Roberto Arce of the PSD running for Vice-President.

Results

President
CandidatePartyVotes%
Víctor Paz EstenssoroRevolutionary Nationalist Movement54,12942.92
Gabriel GosálvezRepublican Socialist Unity Party40,38132.02
Bernardino Bilbao RiojaBolivian Socialist Falange13,25910.51
Guillermo Gutiérrez Vea MurguíaBolivian Civic Action6,6545.28
Tomás Manuel ElíoLiberal Party6,5305.18
José Antonio ArzeRevolutionary Left Party5,1704.10
Total126,123100.00
Registered voters/turnout204,649–
Source: Nohlen

Vice-President
CandidatePartyVotes%
Hernán Siles ZuazoRevolutionary Nationalist Movement52,60243.25
Roberto ArceSocial Democratic Party38,20231.41
Alfredo FloresBolivian Socialist Falange12,39710.19
Julio SalmónBolivian Civic Action6,7785.57
Bailón MercadoLiberal Party6,5585.39
Abelardo Villalpando RetamozoRevolutionary Left Party5,0934.19
Total121,630100.00
Registered voters/turnout204,649–
Source: OEP

References
  1. Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p133 ISBN 978-0-19-928358-3
  2. Political Handbook of the World 1956, New York, 1956. p14
  3. "Voto calificado y voto universal". Opinión Bolivia (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 March 2021.

Bibliography
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