PRESIDENT Evo Morales told Bolivians yesterday that he has not given up hope of victory in a referendum to run for a fourth consecutive term.

While a majority of city-based voters had rejected his proposal, he retained faith in the slower-reporting countryside, declaring himself heartened by the early results and calling celebrations by his opponents premature.

With 40 per cent of Sunday’s vote counted, 62 per cent of voters have opposed a constitutional amendment to let Mr Morales run again in 2019.