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Regional Elections in Venezuela: Update 10

By Daniel Duquenal

31.10.04 - 17.03 GMT - I have not voted yet. The reason? There are no lines anywhere, I can vote whenever I feel like it!!!

Now this is really bad for all parts. The voting act is considerable more complex than on August 15, and yet, the line of about 60 people in front of my house at 8 AM (preceding post) has dwindled to a dozen at this time, 11:30 AM. In August, the line went around the block until mid afternoon and it was only for a Yes/No option.

In other words, regardless of the political posturing of these past weeks, electors from BOTH sides have no motivation to go out and vote!!!!!!

I just heard a rather worried Freddy Bernal, the Chavez henchman mayor of one of the Caracas districts, asking people to go out and vote to defend the revolution!!! And he is not the only chavista to do so as the "vice" expressed concern for the apparent high abstention turnout. I mean, if even chavistas are now walking over each other to plead their folks to vote, you know that something is not working somewhere...

Already this morning Borges, the leader of Primero Justicia, declared that the abstention was worrying. And the the voting process was running into trouble as his reports indicated that only 70-75% of the centers had opened!. This last piece of information is rather stunning! At a quarter to 10, Rodriguez had the gall to declare that 72% of the voting centers were installed and open. 72%? Should not that have been, say 99% at this late hour? Well, at 10:15 AM it was suddenly at 94.8%. One has to be impressed by the ability of these people to convert mediocrity in a shining success.

On other news

Chacon has hinted that the media could watch the auditing process. I suppose that even his close military mind realized that a tid bit of PR might be good to ensure the validity of the election.

The "vice" hoped that the US election of Tuesday would be as transparent as the Venezuelan one. Well, I agree that the US election is questionable but I am not sure that the Venezuelan system is the shining example that the "vice" would have us believe.

Irregularities are reported in at least Yaracuy and Miranda, where people print push the button for one option and another one appears. This time Lapi did not waste time in going to the media and scream bloody murder! The lessons of August 15!

Capriles Radonski complains that his heavy opposition district of Baruta is particularly late in opening its center compared to other districts. Coincidence?

And as I am closing this post I took a peek outside. There is no voting line!!!!!! Nobody! At noon! Too early even for Venezuelan Sunday lunch time!!!!! Oh well, I think I might as well go and vote now.



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