Topic: Democracy
Chavez loses ground in latest regional elections The opposition gains ground in Venezuela despite Chavez and his tacticsby Jonathan Cymberknopf
(libertarian)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Despite the usual widespread election fraud that occurs in a Third World Country, and more so in a country such as Venezuela where all the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Powers are concentrated and controlled by one man, Hugo Chavez; the opposition stunned the word with big victories yesterday, November 23rd, in these 2008 regional and local elections.
Besides the voter registration fraud, the tens of thousands of Cuban nationals voting in Venezuela, the deceased voters, and Superman & Mickey Mouse voting, Hugo Chavez did his best to make sure there was no room for error in these elections by banning or invalidating over 500 opposition candidates from running for government office.
That's right; Hugo Chavez prohibited certain Venezuelan Citizens from running for office who were popular with the people and favored to win according to polling data. In my opinion, this was the lowest point Venezuela had reached under the Chavez Regime. This was a clear disregard for any shred of evidence that Democracy still existed in Venezuela and a calculated attempt at breaking once and for all the back, the will and the hopes of a people much like the Egyptian task masters did with their Jewish slaves over 3,000 years ago.
Of course this is no different than what President-elect Barack Obama did to win his first political election back in 1996 when he ran for Illinois state Senate. Back then Barack Obama was a community organizer who worked along side Acorn and registered thousands of voters but when it came time for his first political campaign, he invalidated the voting petition signatures of three of his challengers within the Democratic Party, including incumbent Alice Palmer. Because of this heinous act, Obama ran unopposed on the Democratic ticket in a heavily Democrat district and the rest is history. #1
Another example on a national scale is when the Democrats kicked off Ralph Nader of 20 something state ballots in the 2004 presidential elections. So before anyone criticizes Venezuela, let's remember the old saying of people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Aside from invalidating these opposition candidates, Chavez also prohibited all polling one week before Election Day and went further by prohibiting Election Day exit polling. Of course this was his Ace in the hole clearing the way for manipulation of election results. Chavez went as far as threatening any TV station that would attempt to give any exit polling with kicking them off the air permanently.
Chavez also took this election personally as he campaigned in every state for all his local and regional candidates always telling the people that a vote for his candidate is a vote for him and to vote otherwise would be considered treason to the state. Chavez used many forms of Intimidation in his speeches and many a times you would never see or ever hear any of the Chavista candidates on the campaign trail. You would only see Chavez campaigning and thus Chavez took a political risk by making this 2008 regional & local elections his own, an election over his mandate.
Chavez actually threatened the people of Carabobo with bringing out army tanks if the opposition won.
Chavez made a point to vehemently spew his venom against his old adversary, Manuel Rosales, who ran for President against him in the last Presidential election and was now running for Mayor of Maracaibo. At every campaign stop, Chavez would threaten Manuel Rosales with Prison and would constantly say he has a prison cell ready for him. The end result: Manuel Rosales won with nearly 70% of the vote.
The election results were announced very late, after midnight, which only adds to the speculation of manipulation of election returns.
After all the manipulation was done, Chavez's gubernatorial candidates won 17 of the 22 states. The opposition retained power in the state of Zulia, the country's most oil rich and populous state, and the state of Nueva Esparta which includes Margarita Island, the nation's only duty free port. These were the only 2 states the opposition carried in the last regional election in 2004.
However, the opposition gained ground like never before by not only retaining power in these 2 states, but also winning and taking control of 3 other very populous states: Miranda, Carabobo, and Tachira. The state of Miranda includes a great portion of the nation's capital- Caracas where the opposition candidate, Antonio Ledezma, also won as the new mayor of metropolitan Caracas. "Now is the time for true change," said Antonio Ledezma, as fireworks rained through out the city.
An opposition candidate also won the municipality of Sucre in Caracas, an area filled with slums that had been a base of support for Mr. Chavez ever since he rose to power. The city of Petare encompasses this area and truly is a blow to Hugo Chavez. To try and give you a fair comparison, it is like the residents of Harlem voting for a white Republican mayor.
Again, although Chavez gubernatiorial candidates won 17 of the 22 states, the 5 states won by the opposition are the most populous states in Venezuela . It is like winning California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois. For all the intimidation, manipulation and fraud, that's how rotund and clear the victories of these opposition candidates must have been that it could have overcome it all.
Keep in mind these victories by the opposition happened despite Chavez owning and holding all the resources and all control of the media .
In Television, Chavez asked "Who can say there is a dictatorship in Venezuela?" as he congratulated the opposition.
Yesterday's vote was Mr. Chavez's second consecutive electoral setback, but we must be realistic in understanding that these results will at best slow his momentum and at worst keep hope alive.
The views expressed in this
article are those of Jonathan Cymberknopf only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Jonathan Cymberknopf is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
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