Chavez
Allies Win Majority of
States in Local
Elections
Caracas - Allies of
Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez won a
majority of state races
in local elections, the
national electoral
authority said early on
Monday.
With 95.67 percent of
votes counted
nationally, Chavez's
Socialist Party garnered
17 states while the
opposition gained the
capital Caracas,
Miranda, Zulia, the two
most populous states, as
well as Nueva Esparta,
Carabobo and Tachirain.
The local elections,
once every four years,
were to elect 22
governors, 328 mayors
and 233 heads of
regional councils.
The local elections this
time registered a record
high turnout, with 65.45
percent of almost 17
million eligible voters
going to the polls, said
Tibisay Lucena,
president of the
National Electoral
Council.
In addition, a total of
140,000 soldiers were
mobilized for the
security on the election
day while 130 observers
from more than
50countries monitored
the voting. |
