Senator Jeanine Anez has declared herself the acting president of Bolivia despite a boycott by allies of former President Evo Morales.
Senator Anez declared herself interim president of Bolivia after the three people ahead of her in the presidential succession resigned amidst massive protests following Morales' resignation. The boycott by Morales' leftist political party members left the the legislative chamber short of the legal minimum number of lawmakers required to appoint her.
According to Morales, who fled to Mexico amidst the unrest, the military forced him to resign and he claims that he is the victim of a coup. Despite his resignation, he has vowed to continue fighting from abroad.
Morales tweeted about Anez's assumption of the presidency calling it "the most crafty and disastrous coup in history." He added: "We are here safe thanks to Mexico and its authorities, but I also want to tell you sisters and brothers, as long as I'm alive, we'll continue in politics."
Supporters of Morales took to the streets to express support for the former president in the administrative capital La Paz in a peaceful manner. Since the country's elections on October 20, violent protests have affected Bolivia, as opposition politicians accused electoral authorities of manipulating the results to favor Morales.
Former president Morales, who has held the position for almost 14 years, denied the allegations and declared himself the winner. However, on Sunday, he pledged to hold new elections after monitors from the Organization of American States (OAS) published a report alleging voting irregularities.
Cmdr. Williams Kaliman, head of Bolivia's Armed forces, asked Morales to step down to restore peace and stability in the country. Initially, Morales appeared to succumb to this by announcing his resignation but he later claimed that he was only forced to do it.
Mexico granted Morales, the first indigenous Bolivian elected president, political asylum.
