Dome of the PSUV decide candidacy in Caroní
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Uncertainty surrounds the election results of the internal United Socialist Party of Venezuela in the town Caroní.

Paola M. Lessey P.
plessey@...
Photo Pablo Ruiz


Some party activists fear the government before the opposition

As what some had predicted, Francisco Rangel Gomez officially became the letter from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) to the Governor of Bolivar State in the regional elections of 23 November. The detail is that for many, including spokesmen for the opposition and the officialdom, having obtained 32,696 votes of a universe of 240,000 registered in the political organization in the entity, can not be considered a real triumph.

According to the website of the National Electoral Council (CNE), the first regional representative of the PSUV won the nomination with 32,696 votes, representing 47.29% of the militants who went to the polling stations last Sunday.

In the regional elections of 2004, Francisco Rangel Gomez beat Antonio Rojas Suarez with 146,329 votes, a process in which abstention stood at 60.98%.

Considering the factor of the sharp polarization between two trends defined and assuming that these 146,329 votes from 2004 are assigned to officers who are now part of the group of militants of 240,000 United Socialist Party of Venezuela, one could say that the numbers are not very encouraging for the option of the new revolutionary party.

Without amazement
To address of A New Time (NTU) in Ciudad Bolivar, "the internal elections of the United Party of Venezuela were a real fraud for all his supporters, since the results announced were not a surprise to nobody, candidates for governors and mayors , Supposedly elected by a majority of voters coincidentally are the favorites of President Hugo Chávez. "

Representatives of the political opposition assured that "the farce is evident when the state of Bolivar is running for Governor Francisco Rangel Gomez, with a majority that reached 50%, as is public knowledge that this character does not enjoy the support of the inhabitants of the region by a management inefficient and fraught with corruption. "

They noted that demonstrated the low popularity of revolutionary party, even though its leaders say otherwise.

Delegitimize
A similar opinion leaders have the political organization we, who assured that the primary elections of United Socialist Party of Venezuela were "manipulated".

"Referring to Bolivar state can say that for us was no surprise that Francisco Rangel Gomez became the candidate of the party, because we knew that he was using state resources to mount an infrastructure that will take the victory," commented Representatives of the awning vinotinto.

Noted that the choice of Rangel Gomez as a candidate of the PSUV not even reached 15%, considering all registered militancy in the political organization. "We can consider that there is a delegitimization of the choice of candidate for the new party."

Even some of those who are part of the revolutionary political organization, warned on several occasions that the Government of Bolivar state would be at risk if the current first regional representative became the choice of United Socialist Party of Venezuela for regional elections.

Caroní while awaiting

While the national leadership of the party has not acted on this and the website of the National Electoral Council said that no results are available on the mayoralties, sources related to the United Socialist Party of Venezuela gave two versions about what was happening in Caroní municipality, giving the winner as the chairman of the House Municipal Caroní, Jose Ramon Lopez.

But the first declarant assured that Freddy Patety and Yumelis Viloria continued to councillor, while the latter spoke of Freddy Patety and Clemente Scotto, the current mayor.

Unofficially it was handled Jose Ramon Lopez won with 7,600 votes and in most parishes, except where Cahamay rose Patety, where University won Scotto and Pozo Verde where Viloria won.