Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

In the presence of some 200 invitees, including high ranking government officials, representatives of all the political parties as well as delegates of foreign missions and personalities from civil society, the new offices of FBDM, NIMD´s counterpart organization in Bolivia, were inaugurated on Monday 16 April 16, 2007. The ceremony raised wide interest from the media.

In his opening speech, the director of FBDM, Mr Guido Riveros, stressed the importance of the partnership with NIMD in the process of growth and consolidation of his organisation, which provides a platform for interparty cooperation and institutional development of political parties and movements in Bolivia.

The director of NIMD, Mr Roel von Meijenfeldt, expressed his admiration for the role that the FBDM plays in establishing trust between opposing parties in a highly polarized political context. He said he hoped that the new office in downtown La Paz will become the 'house of dialogue' for all political actors in their quest to Bolivia's deepen democracy.

[Archbishop of El Alto, Mgr Juarez, blesses the new FBDM offices.] Dr. Alvaro García Linera explained the government´s programme for a deepened democracy, which sets out from respect for pluriformity and strives to provide wellbeing to the impoverished sectors of society. He expressed his confidence in FBDM and the hope that FBDM will continue to play its part in the common endeavour to build a new Bolivia.

Finally, the General Secretary of the Bolivian Bishops Conference and Archbishop of El Alto, Mgr Juarez, blessed the new FBDM offices.