Sunday, August 07, 2005

Not a pretty day for democracy The President of the CNE, Jorge Rodriguez, just recognized in a radio interview that abstention is large. Some Chavista leaders have been saying all day that abstention was low, as lines showed exactly the opposite. International observers mentioned 90% abstention but we will have to wait for real numbers. The Government first extended voting hours until 6 PM and now they have extended it until 7 PM, claiming more voters were mobilizing, but nobody could see them. A reporter in the Government's TV channel said that the hours were extended "to allow the militants to vote" in another example of its independence. Venezuelan law says that voting hours may be extended only if there are still people waiting to vote, but the law has become spurious now in almost daily life in our country. Not a pretty day for Venezuelan democracy. Note added (20 minutes later): Gerardo Blyde of Priemro Justicia holds a press conference to point out what I said above, the law allows for polls to be open beyond 4 PM, only if there are people waiting in line. 6:12:05 PM    comment []

Easy to vote Went to vote, very easy, no lines whatsoever. I left late to get my mother to go with me, we voted and I dropped her off in less than thirty minutes. I actually drove around to see if there were lines anywhere, I visited about ten centers of all social classes, I saw lines only in a lower midlle class area in Chacao in the East of Caracas, but none in the West. Below is the picture of where I voted, there are six people in the picture of which only two are voters, the lady with yellow shirt sitting down and a person you can barely see behind the cardboard boxes on the left behind the guy standing up. On the right is a picture of my finger after being dipped in the iodine based ink. Who needs fingerprint capturing machines so that people don't vote twice, when you put that on on everyone's finger? I've washed it twice and have barely made a dent on it! Crazy! 1:04:42 PM    comment []