[Marxism] MH edit on Venezuelan election results

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(Though they loathe Chavez, they know that the opposition made a
serious tactical mistake by thinking they could derail Chavez's
project by pulling out. We haven't seen the detailed results as
yet, as most of the opposition CANDIDATES ran, though some of 
the PARTIES publicly withdrew. It will be interesting to see 
what happens next and if the opposition continues to try to be
an obstacle, or if it decides it must participate in the process
at least to some degree. And the Chavez forces themselves have a
bit of homework of their own in light of the turnout. Yes, we do
live in interesting times.)
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<http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/editorial/13347039.htm?template=c
ontentModules/printstory.jsp>

Posted on Wed, Dec. 07, 2005

Victory tainted by abstention at polls

OUR OPINION: LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN VENEZUELA'S ELECTORAL SYSTEM

The victory by President Hugo Chávez's government in Sunday's
legislative elections in Venezuela will allow him to consolidate his
so-called ''Bolivarian revolution.'' But don't confuse this process
with a genuine political referendum. A 75 percent abstention rate
clearly demonstrates a lack of confidence by Venezuelan citizens in
the electoral system. Nevertheless, Mr. Chávez now has won almost
complete control of all the levers of power. In the process, however,
he has destroyed the competitive electoral system, the hallmark of a
true democracy.

Opponents can't win

The decision by the main opposition parties to boycott the election
contributed greatly to the high level of no-shows at the polls. But
unless Mr. Chávez wants to label everyone who didn't vote as a foe,
it must be concluded that the lack of confidence extends far beyond
the organized opposition. The boycott may prove to be a mistake by
the opposition -- you can't win if you choose not to compete -- but
that was their decision to make. Certainly, Mr. Chávez has given his
opponents plenty of reason to believe that the deck is stacked
against them.

As the observer mission from the Organization of American States
noted, the state -- that is, Mr. Chávez -- threw all its resources
behind the official candidates. The OAS also lamented the
''aggressive'' nature of the political debate in Venezuela, which
undermined the ability to hold a constructive campaign on issues.
Diplomatically, the OAS stopped short of pointing the finger, but
nothing has done more to erode public discourse in Venezuela than the
coarse, bullying rhetorical style employed by Mr. Chávez.

The pro-government electoral council; the Chávez-packed Supreme Court
(where electoral disputes are resolved); the existence of known lists
of voters who supported a recall referendum against the president; a
vote-recording system that could have identified how anyone voted --
all these give rise to doubts about the fairness of the government's
electoral system.

Separation of powers

The result is something less than a democracy. Mr. Chávez presides
over a mock democracy in which all the forms and conventions of
democracy are observed, but not the substance. The OAS hinted at this
when it called for a national dialogue to increase confidence in
government and said that one of the objectives should be to
strengthen the ''separation, independence and balance'' of the powers
of state. That is precisely what Mr. Chávez has destroyed.

If the opposition wants to be taken seriously, it must get back in
the game -- a boycott is a short-term tactic, not a strategy. But now
that Mr. Chávez has amassed total power, the job of putting Venezuela
back on course for a real democracy rests with him.



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