The commander-in-chief of the Bolovian armed forces, Williams Kaliman, said on Saturday the army would not participate in suppressing protests against the re-election of President Evo Morales, TASS reported referring to the Bolivian News Agency.

He urged the parties to the domestic political conflict to be guided by the highest state interests in resolving it and not to bring the situation to irreversible.

Bolivian Defense Minister Javier Zavaleta said Friday that the government is not going to involve the military in maintaining order in cities where protests are taking place. A statement was made after Bolivian newspapers reported that several police units in the cities of Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and the country's capital Sucre joined in protests against the re-election of Morales.

Presidential elections were held in the republic on October 20. According to information published by the High Electoral Court, the current head of state, Evo Morales, won. His main rival, ex-president Carlos Mesa, said he would not recognize Morales' victory in the first round. Morales declared a state of emergency and accused the opposition of trying to organize a coup when protests were staged in the country.