PRESIDENT Evo Morales’s Movement Towards Socialism party (MAS) suffered a shock defeat in Bolivian capital La Paz in Sunday’s local government elections.

Just months after a sweeping general election win, MAS slipped up in two other provinces — Santa Cruz and Tarija — but won four others and is well placed to take the remaining two.

The ruling party registered victories in the provinces of Pando and Cochabamba with more than 60 per cent of the votes and in Oruro with 55 per cent of the votes. In Potosi, MAS won with 57.1 per cent.