Chavez faces test in Sunday elections
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:29 amChavez faces test in Sunday elections
« Thread Started on Nov 21, 2008, 4:28pm »
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Chavez faces test in Sunday elections
Posted: 04:13 PM ET
CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) — Nearly 17 million Venezuelans are eligible to vote Sunday in about 600 races for governors, mayors and legislators. But President Hugo Chavez has made it clear the election is really all about one person not on any ballot — himself.
Sunday’s vote will be the first since Chavez suffered a stinging defeat last year in a constitutional referendum that would have allowed him to run again in 2012. Major losses by his ruling PSUV party Sunday would deeply damage any effort to place the referendum on the ballot again.
“In the final tally,” political analyst Luis Vicente Leon told CNN, “it’s not the election of governors and mayors that he is looking for. He is looking to show the country an electoral triumph to wipe a little of the egg off his face from his defeat in the constitutional referendum, starting with the premise that President Chavez desperately needs to have another referendum to have continuous re-election.”
A loss for Chavez’s party also would weaken him at a time when he has suffered several defections from his Fifth Republic Movement. Likewise, victories by his party would help cement his grip on power.
« Thread Started on Nov 21, 2008, 4:28pm »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chavez faces test in Sunday elections
Posted: 04:13 PM ET
CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN) — Nearly 17 million Venezuelans are eligible to vote Sunday in about 600 races for governors, mayors and legislators. But President Hugo Chavez has made it clear the election is really all about one person not on any ballot — himself.
Sunday’s vote will be the first since Chavez suffered a stinging defeat last year in a constitutional referendum that would have allowed him to run again in 2012. Major losses by his ruling PSUV party Sunday would deeply damage any effort to place the referendum on the ballot again.
“In the final tally,” political analyst Luis Vicente Leon told CNN, “it’s not the election of governors and mayors that he is looking for. He is looking to show the country an electoral triumph to wipe a little of the egg off his face from his defeat in the constitutional referendum, starting with the premise that President Chavez desperately needs to have another referendum to have continuous re-election.”
A loss for Chavez’s party also would weaken him at a time when he has suffered several defections from his Fifth Republic Movement. Likewise, victories by his party would help cement his grip on power.