Chavez denounces poll 'sabotage'

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the opposition of trying to derail Sunday's congressional election.
BBC


Three parties pulled out of the poll on Tuesday, accusing the electoral body of favouring pro-government candidates. Mr Chavez said the opposition was plotting with the US to destabilise the country, but it denied the allegation. Venezuelans will vote for an expanded 167-seat congress, where supporters of the president have a majority.

The government has vowed to increase its majority to two-thirds, which would allow it to pass constitutional reforms that opposition leaders strongly oppose. Mr Chavez again accused political rivals of receiving US financial backing, a claim Washington and opposition leaders have denied.

"They should accept the truth that they have no public. It is an attempt at political sabotage," Mr Chavez said. But Henry Ramos, chief of the main opposition party Democratic Action, said his only concern was that fairness was not ensured in the congressional election. [Partridge: A rather unforunate turn of phrase there :P]

"We do not sit on the US ambassador's lap," he said. [Partridge: Nope, you crouch on your knees and suck as hard as you can.]

'Unreliable'

On Tuesday, Mr Ramos said Democratic Action was demanding a suspension of the elections until equal conditions existed for parties. He told a news conference that his party had detected software "irregularities" in the electronic voting machines. [Partridge: Unlike voting machines in a certain country to the north of Venezuela, these machines actually produce a paper record as well.]

Mr Ramos also cited lack of access to official voting lists and "deep" mistrust of the National Election Council (CNE), most of whose members are in the ruling party. The authorities had removed fingerprint machines at polling stations earlier this week, after opposition leaders said the identification system threatened voter confidentiality. But the concession failed to assuage some opposition parties.

Project Venezuela and the Social Christian party said they too were withdrawing and called for a suspension. The BBC correspondent in Caracas, Greg Morsbach, says that despite the boycott, four other opposition parties are still committed to taking part.

He adds that divisions within the opposition are likely to contribute to a landslide government victory, which would give President Chavez complete control of congress. Members of the electoral council have repeatedly denied accusations of a pro-government bias.

The poll on Sunday will be overseen by observers from the Organization of American States and the European Union.

Venezuela election boycott widens
BBC

A fourth Venezuelan opposition party has withdrawn from this Sunday's congressional election amid a dispute over electronic voting machines. Primero Justicia's decision means more than half the opposition groupings have now pulled out.

Opposition parties are worried the election board could rig the vote.

Electoral officials deny such accusations and say voting for the expanded 167-seat Congress will go ahead as planned.

The government of President Hugo Chavez has vowed to increase its majority to two-thirds, which would allow it to pass constitutional reforms that opposition leaders strongly oppose.


Three other opposition parties pulled out of the poll earlier this week, accusing the electoral body of favouring pro-government candidates.

They are the main opposition party Democratic Action, Project Venezuela and the Social Christian party.

President Chavez hit back, claiming the opposition was trying to derail the election and accusing them of plotting with the US to destabilise the country.

President Chavez's backers have called a rally on Thursday in support of the congressional election.

Washington has said it is increasingly concerned about the state of Venezuela's democracy, but denies helping the opposition parties.

'Unreliable'

Democratic Action leader Henry Ramos has called for a suspension of the election until equal conditions existed for parties.

He told reporters earlier this week that there were software "irregularities" in the electronic voting machines.

Mr Ramos also cited lack of access to official voting lists and "deep" mistrust of the National Election Council (CNE), most of whose members are in the ruling party.


Representatives of the electoral council have repeatedly denied accusations of a pro-government bias.

The authorities had removed fingerprint machines at polling stations after opposition leaders said the identification system threatened voter confidentiality.

But the concession failed to assuage some opposition parties.

The BBC correspondent in Caracas, Greg Morsbach, says that despite the boycott, a number of opposition parties are still committed to taking part.

He adds that divisions within the opposition are likely to contribute to a landslide government victory, which would give President Chavez complete control of congress.

The poll on Sunday will be overseen by observers from the Organization of American States and the European Union.