Bolivia heads into an Oct. 19 runoff between centrist Rodrigo Paz Pereira and right-wing ex-president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga after nearly 20 years of socialist rule.

Now, on October 19, Bolivians will hold presidential runoff for the first time—an option only introduced in the 2009 Constitution. As voters prepare to pick their next president, AS/COA online looks at dark horse candidate Paz, the collapse of MAS, and the composition of the next national legislature.

Early official result showed the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) on track for its worst election defeat in a generation.

The surprise frontrunner in Bolivia's presidential elections reportedly had his phone stolen on Sunday while giving a speech to supporters to celebrate his first-round victory. Centrist senator Rodrigo Paz topped Sunday's polls with 32% of the votes cast, although he did not receive a high enough share to secure an outright victory.

One candidate is Rodrigo Paz, a conservative centrist senator and son of a neoliberal ex-president who is pitching himself as a moderate reformer.

LA PAZ (Reuters) -Bolivian presidential candidate Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga said he would dole out ownership stakes in key natural resources like lithium if elected in October as part of sweeping economic reforms, and signalled a willingness to improve ties with the United States.

The return to power of the far right in Bolivia proves once again that bourgeois nationalism only serves to disarm the working class.

A well-known figure in Bolivian politics, Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, 65, is a conservative candidate representing the Alianza Libre coalition. He briefly served as president from 2001 to 2002 and has worked as an IMF consultant and a mining executive.