Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in the midst of an election to determine various mayoral and legislative positions. It will be interesting to see how this one turns out. There were many accusations of vote rigging and electoral fraud in previous Venezuelan elections and referendums; the government has been accused of taking many steps to prevent opposition groups from effectively initiating constitutional procedures and undertaking democratic initiatives. (In 2003, the Venezuelan government stalled a recall vote for an entire year).
In 2007 Hugo Chavez lost a referendum which would have allowed Presidents to initiate procedures to maintain their position indefinitely. The opposition is hoping that this will build momentum and allow them to secure a position over Mr. Chavez. If they are successful, it will signal a change in Venezuelan politics because it will a signal a crack in the strength of the long-ruling party. If they are unsuccessful, it will strengthen Chavez’ authority.
According to the BBC, 150 international observers are on hand to determine the legitimacy of the vote. If the vote turns out to be fair, it will be an encouraging step in this country that has a troubled experience with elections. Regardless of who wins, a fair election will be good for Venezuela.
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