Venezuela Speaks at
the Polls
Caracas - Almost 17
million Venezuelans are
having their say at the
polls this Sunday, after
a grueling and tense
campaign in a call to
vote backed both by
followers of president
Hugo Chavez and the
opposition.Venezuela
Elections Up and Running
Long months of
propaganda hammering
have gone by through all
posible means. I f there
is an issue in which
contenders agree is that
today´s regional and
municipal elections will
be one of the most
massively attended that
the country has ever
known.
It was a tradition to
have an abstentionism
rate of 50 percent of
registered voters, but
this poll to elect 603
posts has a strategic
importance for both
blocs that virtually
divide local politics.
Considered strategic by
government and
opposition, victory is
awaited by the former to
consolidate the
transformations begun by
Chavez in 1999, while
the latter hope to oust
him from power before
2013.
The opposition sectors
have progressively lost
options to succeed in
winning governorships
after an euphoric
beginning and the last
surveys attribute them
less possibilities than
the 10 states they hoped
to win.
For the followers of the
head of State, there are
chances to win in all
governorships and the
majority of mayorships,
but for that to happen
–Chavez has warned-
everyone has to mobilize
to vote and not rely on
victory.
About seven thousand
candidates contend for
over 600 posts with
almost 17 million
registered voters in a
journey to extend from
06:00 to 16:00 (20:30
GMT) local time this
Sunday.
Voting is for the first
time totally automated
and the president of the
National Electoral
Council, Tibisay Lucena,
said they plan to give
first results with over
80 percent of the votes
counted, three to four
hours after the closing
of polling stations,
when trends are
irreversible.
Meanwhile, 134 observers
from 52 countries
invited to the elections
went to the states of
Zulia, Tachira, Barinas,
Bolivar, Nueva Esparta,
Anzoátegui, Lara,
Monagas, Yaracuy y
Caracas to view the
development of the
election process.
The Plan República
already deployed 140
thousand troops and
reservists (militia) who
will guard every one of
the voting centers.
Authorities also ordered
the state and municipal
police, together with
the armed forces to be
confined to barracks,
forbidding to carry arms
as well as the sale of
alcoholic beverages.
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