Former president Fernández to head OAS observer mission

The Secretary General of theOrganization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro has designated LeonelFernández and Edgardo Ortuño as heads of the two Electoral Observer Missions that the OASis sending to forthcoming processes in Bolivia and Costa Rica.

FormerDominican president Leonel Fernández will head the mission that will beobserving the Constitutional Approval Referendum that will be held in Bolivia onFebruary 21st. The OAS also informed that the team that will travel to Costa Rica for the municipalelections of February 7th will be headed by Uruguayan EdgardoOrtuño, who served as the under-secretary and interim minister of Industry,Energy and Mines (2011-2015) and as a former deputy for Montevideo.

In1962, Costa Rica was the first member state to host an OAS ElectoralObserver Mission. Since that first occasion, eleven elections have beencelebrated in the Central American country.

InBolivia, the OAS has observed 15 electoral processes since 1966, including theReferendums of 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009, as well as the 2014 presidential andthe 2015 municipal election.