Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez has decisively won election to a fourth term following a tough campaign by the challenger, Henrique Capriles Radonski. A record 80.4 per cent of the country’s 19 million registered voters turned out, re-electing Mr. Chávez by 54.4 per cent to 44.9 for Mr. Capriles, with about 90 per cent of the votes counted. The public themselves proved portents of violence wrong, and the substantial numbers of armed national guard personnel on the streets had little to do. The procedure itself was strict: voters, who were identified by a digital thumbprint reader, made their choice on centrally-connected touch-screens and printed out their vote to check it before it went into a ballot-box. This election is the closest any rival has come to the President, who won by 16 per cent in 1998 and 26 in 2006. Pre-election indications were that Mr. Capriles was pressing President Chávez hard, though the incumbent’s core supporters among the poorer classes clearly valued the difference he has made to them with state aid after natural disasters, subsidised food, free medical care, and adult education. Moreover, Mr. Capriles got votes from people who thought the country needed a change but who also believed his promises to retain many Chávez policies.
The strong showing by Mr. Capriles is good for Venezuelan democracy, and indeed for the success of Mr. Chavez’s ‘Bolivarian Revolution’ — which might otherwise meander or lose direction without the constant accountability that only a robust opposition can ensure. Venezuela faces major domestic challenges, including corruption and a high murder rate. Poorly maintained infrastructure has reduced oil production, the country’s principal source of income. In the six additional years he now has before him, Mr. Chávez must not ignore these problems, even as he pushes ahead with his promise to decentralise power to local councils and take on the might of powerful private players in sectors like retail and transport through the promotion of public companies. His plans for the oil sector involve closer collaboration between the state-owned corporation PDVSA and international players like Rosneft and Lukoil from Russia. Chevron is also a player here, but that will not end open U.S. vilification of Mr. Chávez, not least for putting his country’s oil wealth to enlightened geopolitical use in Latin America and beyond. The newly reelected President’s health following treatment for cancer remains in question, but delivering even some further improvements to the lives of ordinary Venezuelans will be a triumph both for him and for the model of ‘21st century socialism’ he espouses.
Firstly let me raise my toast to Hugo Chavez for your fourth
consecutive victory.Another decisive electoral victory for Hugo Chávez
has convinced many Venezuelans in the opposition that his only
vulnerabilities are a turn for the worse in the ailing president's
health or a sharp drop in oil prices.Mr.Chavez also had some enormous
advantages during the campaign. His government has broad control over
the country's television airwaves, and used the reach to tell the poor
that their social programs would be taken away if Mr.Capriles won—
despite the challenger's pledge he would keep the programs intact and
even add a few new ones.But as the campaign showed, the opposition has
reason to be hopeful. For starters, Mr.Capriles emerged as the first
formidable foe to Mr.Chavez in the past 14 years, someone who also
wants to woo the poor. Mr.Capriles ran by all accounts a capable
campaign, and he is just 40 years old—far younger than the ailing
president at 58.
It is a two-sided victory. The result polls shows the trust of the people in Socialism and the leader who transformed their lives, Chavez. However it also highlights the change in the mindsets of people towards Democracy, which is clear from the comparative marginal victory of Chavez this time. This should indeed sound as an alarm for Chavez and a good signal for Capriles. Capriles should now show both facets to the Government as an associated partner for the development of the country as well as a criticizer of the reforms taken by Chavez, if he finds detrimental to the well being of the country. He indeed should work towards the pragmatic solutions to the present day problems and strive to eradicate corruption, the inevitable devil in many countries. He should work for the promises he made during the election campaign. Thus the ultimate goal of the welfare of the people should be achieved.
Editorial text with justified hurdles clearly shows that in spite of
corruption,sufferings and hardships majority trust socialism as better
future system in Venezuela.
Socialism as future political system need to see a hidden link of
corruption,compulsions and hunger for power in the system`s unequal
global balance balance not fulfilling social responsibility towards
the people.If successful it shall be rewarded as global governance
model as American model of crony capitalism has failed the people.
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