Bolivia's new constitution passed with 61.4
per cent of the votes in favour, according to the final official count of
referendum ballots released by the country's electoral authorities on Monday, dpa reported.
The measure received 2.06 million votes, with close to 1.3 million votes (38.6
per cent of the total) against the proposed text.
The abstention rate was 9.74 per cent, the lowest in Bolivia in the past 25
years.
President Evo Morales - who campaigned in favour of the new constitution - was
set to sign it into force Saturday in El Alto, a city close to La Paz that is a stronghold of the left-wing president.
The new constitution gives more rights to Bolivia's indigenous majority and
expands government control over the economy. It would also allow the president
to run for a second five-year term.
The results are nationally binding despite profound regional political
differences across Bolivia. In four wealthy pro-autonomy provinces, among Bolivia's nine provinces, that are currently led by the opposition to Morales, a majority
voted against the new text.