Bolivia Interim President Says Morales Will Face Charges if He Returns

La Paz, Nov 15 (AFP) Bolivia's interim president Jeanine Anez said Friday that exiled ex-president Evo Morales would have to "answer to justice" over election irregularities and government corruption if he returns.

"He knows he has to answer to justice. There is electoral crime. There are many allegations of corruption in his government," Anez told journalists in La Paz.

Morales resigned and fled to political asylum in Mexico after losing the support of the security forces following weeks of protests over his disputed re-election.

The former president said Wednesday he was willing to return to bring peace to Bolivia.

Anez, 52, was deputy senate speaker before proclaiming herself acting president on Tuesday to avoid a power vacuum -- a move endorsed by the Constitutional Court.

Those further up the political hierarchy had resigned along with Morales.

Protests have flared across Bolivia since Morales was declared the winner of the October 20 election, beating his nearest rival, centrist Carlos Mesa, by just enough to avoid a second round.

Ten people have been killed and around 400 injured in the protests, according to prosecutors.

The Organization of American States recommended holding new elections after it found "irregularities that range from serious to indicative" in virtually every area they reviewed -- in technology, the chain of custody of ballots, integrity of the count, and statistical projections. (AFP)

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