Bolivia has suffered chronic political instability The people of
South America's poorest nation go to the polls on Sunday 18
December to elect a new president, parliament and departmental
prefects. Eight candidates are standing for president, but only
Evo Morales, of the Movement Toward Socialism (Mas), and former
president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga are thought to have a real chance
of winning. Mr Morales, the coca-growers' leader and an Aymara
Indian, has a slight lead over his conservative rival. If
elected he would become Bolivia's first indigenous president. Q:
What is at stake? This is a key election for Bolivia. Despite
having the second largest natural gas reserves in the region,
the country is wracked by poverty. Nearly 70% of the population
live below the poverty line and 14.4% live on less than $1 a
day. Bolivia has had five presidents in four years and faces
deep economic, ethnic and regional divisions. The political
system is still dominated by a small, wealthy elite, with the
majority indigenous popul