Stuart Munckton
According to an April 12 Venezuela Analysis <http://www.venezuelanalysis.com> article, supporters of the Movement for a Fifth Republic (MVR), Venezuela's governing party, voted in electoral primaries to establish the MVR's list of candidates for the coming local elections scheduled for August. According to the MVR, this was the first time a political party in Venezuela had determined its candidates in such a way.
Inside the Bolivarian revolution, led by President Hugo Chavez but involving organisations and movements that are broader than the MVR, the question of how to select "Chavista" candidates has been controversial. Until these primaries, candidates tended to be hand-picked by the leadership of the pro-Chavez parties, including the MVR, who then proceeded to divide up the positions without consultation or the active involvement of the rank and file of the Bolivarian movement. The result has been that a number of those elected on "Chavista" platforms were distrusted by the masses, and in some cases have proved treacherous.
The issue came to a head in the lead-up to the regional elections last October. Despite opposition from within the grassroots movements, a candidate list was drawn up by the leadership of various pro-Chavez parties. The decision not to hold primaries was justified by the claim that there wasn't time. After the elections, Chavez stated that in future, primaries would be held to allow the rank and file to select candidates.
Provisions introduced into the constiution adopted by referendum in 1999 already mean that elected officials can have their mandate revoked half-way through their term if 20% of their electors sign a petition requesting a fresh election.
Venezuela Analysis reported that 2.4 million people voted in the primaries — a strong indication of how deeply the MVR is embedded in the population. More than 5200 candidates will be pre-selected to compete for the 5618 positions up for grabs in the August elections. The remaining 418 positions will go to other pro-Chavez parties, to encourage a unified pro-Chavez ticket. However, many other pro-Chavez groups have publicly criticised the MVR for taking so many positions.
From Green Left Weekly, April 20, 2005.
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