Increased risk of civil unrest by supporters of President

There is an increased risk of civil unrest by supporters of President Evo Morales, as the administration insisted on 2 September 2008 that the country will hold a referendum on 7 December to approve the new constitution and elect local authorities despite opposition by the National Electoral Court (CNE). The court had annulled an earlier Morales decree calling for the referendum, arguing that the power to do so rests with Congress rather than with the president. Morales would have difficulty passing a law in Congress, as the opposition controls the Senate.