By Eduardo Garcia SUCRE, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Thousands of Bolivian government supporters marched on Monday to demand the revival of a constitutional assembly that has been derailed by a string of violent protests in recent weeks. Leftist President Evo Morales, an Aymara Indian from a poor background, was elected on pledges to nationalize the energy industry and draw up a new constitution to empower the indigenous majority in South America's poorest country. Elected delegates to a constitutional assembly began work earlier this year in the central city of Sucre but a string of anti-government protests raised concerns about their safety and they are now on a one-month recess until things calm down. "The rightist opposition wants the constitutional assembly to fail, but we are not going to allow that," said coca leaf grower Ascencio Picha, who marched with thousands of Indians, fellow coca growers and trade union members. They rallied in a stadium, avoiding Sucre's downtown area, and there were no clashes with anti-government protesters. Organizers said groups that support the assembly will camp out in Sucre until it is able to finish its work. Recent anti-Morales protests have demanded that Bolivia's government and Congress be moved from the highlands city of La Paz to Sucre, which is Bolivia's legal capital and home to the judicial branch of its government. La Paz is Bolivia's "administrative capital" and is a Morales stronghold high in the Andes. The president says wealthy landowners and the rightist opposition are behind the Sucre movement and are using it to block the assembly and his land reform agenda. Pro-government marchers on Monday said chaos would break out if Sucre gets its way. "If the capital is moved here, imagine what would happen in El Alto," said Portugal Quispe, 42, referring to a huge slum city which sits outside La Paz and has often brought it to a standstill with protests. Bolivia has a long history of political unrest. Street protests over energy policy and Indian rights led to uprisings that toppled presidents in 2003 and 2005.
