Venezuela: president election campaign promises no surprises
November 16, 2006
Of course there is always a place for mutual accusations. The team of M. Rosales, the opposition candidate for president, accuses Chavez supporters in unacceptable use of administrative power to promote the achievements of Bolivarian government and personally president H.
Chavez, who runs for another six-year term.
Chavez team won't stay aside: they claim that all private broadcasting companies and printed editions altogether "vote" for M. Rosales, with that breaching the mass media principle of objectivity and equal remoteness from candidates for the highest state post.
Quite strong argument for Chavez supporters is that opposition just simulates the acceptance of democratic rules, at the same time developing "subversive V-plan" in order to make the situation similar to the one that in April 2002 resulted in temporal removal of president Chavez.
A number of officials think that opposition's "V-plan" is going to call in question the legitimacy of Chavez election for new term and thus weaken the position of Bolivarian government in Venezuela and beyond its bounds.
In spite of all these traditional for presidential election mutual accusations, intensified with Latin-American temperament, the overall situation in Venezuela is quite serene. Perhaps the reason is the evident advantage of President Chavez, that reaches 20-25% due to the latest polls.
President Chavez has indisputable achievements to demonstrate Venezuelans, especially in social sector: the most poor layers of Venezuelan society were shown that Bolivarian government does its best to stop them being "second class" citizens. The major improvements are evident: Venezuelans are provided with free medical assistance, education and moderate prices for dwelling. Instead of keeping the oil money in foreign banks, waiting for a rainy day Chavez government invest into Venezuelans and forced industrial development of the country.
Traditional financial and economical elite is also content with the situation. Their income increased if compared with the times of 4th Republic, and the great number of new projects of "this megalomaniac", as President Chavez is called in radical opposition press, promises even higher demand on industrial, agricultural and financial potential of private sector. In this sector Chavez gains more support, as people presume his rule will be beneficial for them.
"Chavez Cycle" is far from completion. And what is more, one can be sure that it is only the beginning!