Standard procedure for Chavez to violate the Constitution

[naaman fletcher]

The infringements of the Electoral Procedures Act committed by government officials and, in particular, by the President of the Republic are becoming ever more blatant.

This Thursday, September 2, Vicente Diaz, a director of the National Electoral Council (CNE), urged President Chavez and the rest of the country's government officials to respect the election campaign rules and to abide by the Electoral Procedures Act. Using videos, Diaz gave examples of these violations committed by the President, among them:

1) defamatory remarks about the democratic unity alliance candidates made by Hugo Chavez and his promotion of candidates of the government party, PSUV, in a nationwide networked broadcast, in violation of Article 145 of the Constitution and Article 17 of the Electoral Processes Act, which expressly forbids government officials to serve any political party or act in its favor;

2) the use of the national flag by the President when passing over to PSUV candidates during a television broadcast, even though the law forbids the use of patriotic symbols in election campaigns; and

3) the words, "We're going to give the opposition a beating on September 26," spoken by the President of the Republic at a public event broadcast in a nationwide networked broadcast.

Despite the gravity of the accusations, Diaz fell short ... he failed to mention, for example, that, while the President has suspended his Sunday program, Alo Presidente, for the duration of the election campaign as proof of his alleged political impartiality, Chavez has continued to make abusive use of presidential nationwide, networked broadcasts and programs on the government-controlled television channels to campaign in favor of PSUV candidates.

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=96377

This must be an opposition website, right?

[Peace Patriot]

1. This is a misleading article and a misleading post.

First of all, the article that you post has a preface that you left out, as follows:

---

"VenEconomy: It has already become standard procedure for the Hugo Chavez administration to violate the Constitution and the laws of the Republic whenever it feels like it, to suit its interests. It resorts to this practice to deal with any kind of circumstance, from the crisis of PDVAL's rotting food to the sinking of the Aban Pearl gas platform to matters having to do with elections.

---

The wild accusations of this preface--that it is "standard procedure" for Chavez "to violate the Constitution and the laws of the Republic" is not supported by the facts in the article. It is a wild--exaggerated, unfactual, unsupported--allegation.

Secondly, Vicente Diaz is a member of the rightwing opposition. The independent, non-partisan National Electoral Council, contains representation of all major stakeholders, as it should. Diaz is using his position on that Council to make broad, sweeping, partisan charges that have not been issued by the Council itself.

Here is what the PRESIDENT of that Council had to say, in response to member Diaz, also found at the VHeadline web site (but which you don't include in your post):

---

CNE president Tibisay Lucena pulls up colleague for off-the-cuff comments

VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports: National Electoral Council (CNE) president, Tibisay Lucena has rejected comments made by her colleague, Vicente Diaz about excesses on the part of candidates to the National Assembly.

Lucena said such comments will only confuse voters ... Diaz is considered to be opposition to the government and among the excesses he criticized was campaigning by President Chavez.

Lucena insisted that the CNE will not allow the use of personal positions and politics to spread confusion regarding the rules of the game which, she clarified, are well-known to parties and candidates.

Diaz has come under attack for his public comments which, the CNE president insisted, should have been submitted to the CNE board for consideration.

Lucena said one of the achievements of the CNE is to have risen above the political arena and to have made CNE stick to its role in society.

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=96375

---

In other words, Vicente Diaz has violated his duty as a member of the non-partisan Council that runs Venezuela's elections, with his "off the cuff" remarks--remarks neither discussed nor endorsed by the Council. In fact, he didn't let the Council discuss his charges. He never submitted them! He just mouthed off to the press--using his position on the Council to engage in electoral politics. This is a Bushwhack tactic--such as we saw in Ohio in 2004--when the Secretary of State, who runs Ohio's elections, acted a Bush partisan in decisions and actions that should have been objective and non-partisan. This action of Diaz just helps to confirm my opinion of the rightwing in Venezuela as scofflaws, liars and disruptors of the public order. They have nothing positive to offer so they go on rants like this one, simply trying to cause trouble and confusion, to cast aspersions on an internationally monitored and certified election system, and trying to shut up Chavez the citizen, who has a right to state his opinions in an election.

[naaman fletcher]

2. thanks for the info. nt.