Venezuela's electoral authority: Govn't officials can participate in the campaign

[naaman fletcher]

he National Electoral Council (CNE) will not investigate the complaints filed by director Vicente Díaz against President Hugo Chávez. According to CNE directors Tibisay Lucena, Sandra Oblitas, Tania D'Amelio and Socorro Hernández, the Venezuelan president, governors and municipal authorities and public employees at any level "are political players and individuals, and the Constitution and laws enable them to exercise this right" during the election campaign.

Article 17 of the Regulation on Election Campaign N°6 provides that public employees, in general, work for the State and not for "any political partisanship" and therefore, they are not allowed to "act in the exercise of public function, guided by their political preferences in favor or against any organization or candidate." However, the electoral directors determined that the actions of the Head of State do not circumvent electoral regulation.

Díaz, however, does not share this interpretation. He said that President Chávez should not participate in proselytizing activities that could be interpreted as official events.

Meanwhile, Lucena confirmed that the directors of the National Electoral Council (CNE) will subpoena executive officers of private TV station Televen, Globovisión and NGO Ojo Electoral (Electoral's Eye).

http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/09/09/en_pol_art_venezuelas-electora_09A4446411.shtml