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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/americas/7135396.stm

Bolivia assembly approves charter
Bolivia's constituent assembly - 8/12/2007
More than one-third of assembly members boycotted the vote
A special Bolivian constituent assembly has approved a new constitution, despite a boycott by the main opposition party.

Bolivians will now have a chance to vote on the document in a national referendum next year.

The 164 deputies present out of the total of 255 took 13 hours to vote on each article of the new constitution.

The new charter would give greater autonomy to Bolivia's indigenous people and eliminate presidential term limits.

The draft constitution has proved contentious in Bolivia, with strikes and protests against it.

At least three people have been killed in clashes between protesters and police.

President Evo Morales proposed on Wednesday that he step down if "No" votes in the upcoming referendum exceed the vote which elected him in December 2005 - 54%.

Mr Morales - Bolivia's first indigenous president - says the reforms would give greater political representation to marginalised and indigenous groups - who make up 62% of the population.

But the opposition have criticised the plans for allowing the president to seek re-election indefinitely.

Strikes to protest against the reform plans were held in six of Bolivia's nine provinces last month, attracting the strongest support in the gas-rich province of Santa Cruz - an opposition stronghold.