New Elections in Bolivia

Bolivia’s Congress called early general elections for December after protests ousted two presidents in 19 months. The 157-member Congress voted Tuesday by a two-thirds majority to cut short its mandate, slated to expire in January 2007, and form a Constituent Congress to rewrite the constitution and hold a referendum on regional autonomy in July 2006. President Eduardo Rodriguez pledged early elections when he took office June 9 after Carlos Mesa resigned amid protests demandind the nationalization of the country´s oil and gas industry.