This past Sunday, Venezuelans went to the polls to elect all members of parliament. Leaders of the opposition to President Hugo Chavez have cited it as a test of Chavez’s government and socialist reforms:
“We want a total change,” Dieter Jaaniorg, a voter at a polling station in Caracas, said.
He said he is fed up with crime, a bad economy and an authoritarian government.
Cristian, his younger brother, said they see it as a last chance for the opposition to show it can stand up to Chavez.
“If we don’t win today, it’s straight to communism,” he said.
Chavez is hailed by supporters as a champion of Venezuela’s poor communities. But he is denounced by critics as a dictator.
His popularity is in the 40-50 per cent range – well below his highs in previous years. But that is probably enough to ensure that his party retains a majority.
Some are actually voicing their desire to return to democracy:
Margarita Lopez Maya, an opposition candidate, told Al Jazeera she stopped supporting Chavez because he turned away from democracy.
Opposition members cautioned that their people should remain at the polls to ensure that the correct color ballots were put in the boxes. But Chavez touted the accuracy of the machines and asked people to respect the outcome. He taunted the opposition by saying he hoped they would not launch another impeachment drive as they did in 2004.
There was an unbelievably large turnout for the vote. Results should be known by late Monday. [AlJazeera/English]
UPDATE 9/27
Venezuela: Chávez’s Party Wins Elections But Ends Up Short of Two-Thirds Majority
Hugo Chávez’s party the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) obtained 95 deputies in the 165-member unicameral National Assembly — in other words 58% of the seats. The opposition captured 64 seats, 39% of the National Assembly, denying the Chávez government and its supporters the two-thirds majority that they sought. In the Latin American Parliament elections, the PSUV won 6 of the 12 seats. The turnout was 66%.
PSUV’s national campaign coordinator Aristóbulo Istúriz said, “We couldn’t achieve it [the two-thirds majority]. Nevertheless, we have obtained, so far, 95 deputies, an overwhelming majority, a really overwhelming victory. . . . It clearly makes us the strongest political force in our country.” [mrzine.monthlyreview.org]
DarcsFalcon
September 27, 2010
People all across Europe have been starting to vote against liberalism/socialism/communism in winning numbers the last few years. Same in Canada too. They tried to vote out the little dinner jacket in Iran, but lost, many claim to rigged ballots. Hence all the rioting there last summer. I would be surprised if Chavez didn’t rig the elections down there too. He and Ahmadinejad are birds of a feather.
samhenry
September 27, 2010
I love how you call “HIM” the little dinner jacket!
samiam60
September 27, 2010
The Worlds economies are collapsing because of the Socialist/Marxist/Communist dominance over them. The World is now Rejecting these Communists. I for one am glad to see and Proud to be a part of removing it from our Country.
God Bless the United States of America
samhenry
September 27, 2010
AMEN!
blackwatertown
September 27, 2010
Perhaps people have forgotten the most serious attempt to remove Chavez from office – and it was not through the ballot box, and the United States appeared to have some role in the attempted coup. (Not that Chavez can really complain about attempted coups, given hi sown old record.)
I’m not suggesting Chavez has been successful in everything his democratically elected governments have attempted, but I raise my eyebrows at the determination to ignore those areas where there has been progress – education for one.
To finish on a random note… As I was paying for petrol by credit card at the pump in a petrol station (so as not to have to go to the kiosk), I recalled that the first time I ever encountered pay-at-the-pump card readers was in Venezuela about 13 or so years ago. (Perhaps they were old hat to Americans even then, but it was a novel curiosity to me.) It was a great country to travel round too – fantastically varied and very friendly to strangers.
samhenry
September 27, 2010
Roo – a bit prickley?
The brother of a good Cuban friend of mine was involved in the oil business in Venezuela for years. He loved it there. I know it is a wonderful country. Oil companies are driving the politics for the globe. It doesn’t matter what country. The politics eventually comes down to that. We are working well with Lula in Brazil. Geo-politics is very complicated. South America is very complicated. Just dealing with Mexico is complicated. As Kermit has been heard to remark “It’s not easy being green.”