Despite inclusive wording of the text, opponents have claimed the new document only represents indigenous peoples, discriminating against mixed (mestizo), white (European) populations.
[3] In mid-December, cabildos held in the media luna departments of Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando threatened to refuse to abide by a constitution that was not approved by a two-thirds vote.
[4] Cochabamba prefect Manfred Reyes Villa also backed the two-thirds majority position in a pro-autonomy cabildo held on 15 December 2006, further sharpening the divisions that led to the January 2007 violence.
With the loss of control of the Senate, Morales has backed down from his position that a simple majority of assembly members should determine the wording of individual articles in the new Constitution.
"[5] After months of negotiations, on 8 February 2007 MAS announced that with the support of 18 members of the Podemos that they had reached the necessary consensus on the Assembly's voting procedures.
Failure to achieve two-thirds would result in a Concertation commission to seek a new text; irreconciliable differencecs would be considered by popular referendum.
On 23 August, the conflict escalated with mass attacks on the headquarters of MAS-affiliated social movements in Sucre and on Assembly member Ignacio Mendoza (MAS, Chuquisaca), leading to the suspension of further plenary sessions.
[9] Leaders of several opposition parties and conservative civic committees in 5 departments stated they will not recognize the new text, claiming it was approved illegally.
On December 14, 2007, the President of the Constituent Assembly, Silvia Lazarte and members of the Directory Panel presented the complete text [10] to the Bolivian National Congress to legislate a referendum.
[12] On October 23, 2008, the Bolivian Congress approved holding a referendum on a new constitution supported by President Morales to empower the allegedly long oppressed indigenous majority of the country.