[NYTr] Venez: Constitutional Referendum Defeated in Close Vote Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 00:12:52 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit [Both AP and Reuters are now reporting a very close "NO" vote on the Constitutional reforms, 51% to 49% "YES." This is apparently an official result issued by the CNE. Both reports are below. Third item is the Simon Romero negative spin of the day from an hour ago when a serious, close election was obviously close, and Romero called that a sign that Hugo Chavez controlled "almost all the political levers in the country." Which must explain why he lost. Right, Simon? No details yet on the actual final turnout (clearly there was much less abstentionism y Chavez foes than in previous elections) or if the vote tallies were the same on both "blocs" of proposed reforms. -NYTransfer] Reuters via Yahoo - Dec 3, 2007 http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071203/wl_nm/venezuela_referendum_dc Chavez loses vote on new powers in Venezuela CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost a tight vote on Sunday in a referendum on giving him new powers and scrapping term limits on his left-wing rule. The national electoral authority said early on Monday the "No" camp won 51 percent of the vote compared to the pro-Chavez "Yes" camp's 49 percent. It said the trend could not be [reversed] and declared Chavez the loser. The referendum vote on a raft of reforms would have allowed Chavez to run for reelection indefinitely, control Venezuela's foreign currency reserves, appoint loyalists over regional elected officials and censor the media if he declares an emergency. Chavez has said he wants to rule for life and turn Venezuela into a socialist state. But defeat will likely put the Cuba ally under intense pressure to slow or halt his self-declared socialist revolution and step down when his term ends in 2013. Chavez called the referendum vote "a photo finish." (Additional reporting by Fabian Andres Cambero, Patricia Rondon and Jorge Silva, Writing by Saul Hudson; Editing by Kieran Murray) *** AP via MSNBC - Dec 3, 2007 00:38 a.m. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22066948/ Voters reject Chavez's constitutional changes Constitutional changes would have broadened his power over Venezuela The Associated Press updated 12:38 a.m. ET, Mon., Dec. 3, 2007 CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez suffered a stinging defeat in a vote on constitutional changes that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely, the chief of National Electoral Council said Monday. Voters defeated the sweeping measures by a vote of 51 percent to 49 percent, Tibisay Lucena said. Turnout was just 56 percent, Lucena said. Chavez called it a bphoto finishb immediately after the results were announced. The referendum on constitutional changes was a critical test for a leader bent on turning this major U.S. oil provider into a socialist state. An emboldened opposition and clashes during student-led protests in recent weeks had prompted fears of bitter conflict in Chavezbs closest race in years. Before word came, tensions grew as hours passed without any results being announced hours after the official close of voting. The opposition said it was closely monitoring the returns. bThe result of the referendum is close,b Vice President Jorge Rodriguez said from Chavezbs campaign headquarters. bWe will respect the result, whatever it is b even if itbs by one single vote ... We call on the other side to do the same.b He said some polling stations were still open to allow voting Sunday night and the electoral council was still awaiting results from 20 percent of them. Opposition politician Henrique Capriles, mayor of the Caracas district of Baruta, said late Sunday that it was time for the electoral council to issue its first results, noting that bmore than 97 percent of the 33,000 polling stations are automated.b bVery tightb Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, mayor of the Caracas district of Chacao, claimed that results seen by election monitors bindicate the bnob vote is going to win.b Julio Borges, a former lawmaker and presidential contender, said bthe photo is very tight.b An emboldened opposition and clashes during student-led protests in recent weeks prompted fears of bitter conflict if either side disputed the results. Caravans of Chavezbs supporters took to the streets after most polls closed honking horns and blaring celebratory music in anticipation of victory. Chavezbs opponents feared a win by the president could mean a plunge toward dictatorship. Supporters had faith that Chavez would use the reforms to deepen grass-roots democracy and more equitably spread Venezuelabs oil wealth. The changes would help transform the major U.S. oil provider into a socialist state. They would create new forms of communal property, let Chavez handpick local leaders under a redrawn political map, permit civil liberties to be suspended under extended states of emergency and allow Chavez to seek re-election indefinitely. Otherwise, he cannot run again in 2012. Chavez warned opponents ahead of the vote he would not tolerate attempts to incite violence, and threatened to cut off oil exports to the U.S. if Washington interferes. Chavez calls those who resist his socialist agenda pawns of President Bush. bHebs going to be an elected dictator,b 77-year-old voter Ruben Rozenberg said of Chavez. The retired blue jeans maker, who emigrated from Cuba in 1961, said that although Chavezbs revolution is peaceful compared to that of Fidel Castro, bwebve been violated all aroundb by the Venezuelan leaderbs progressive consolidation of power. Across town, in a pro-Chavez slum, 40-year-old Jorge Blanco said Chavez bis giving power to the peopleb through the reforms. bHe opened that little door and now webre free.b Of the wealthy elite, Blanco said: bWhat they fear is losing power.b The government touted pre-election polls showing Chavez with an advantage, while surveys cited by the opposition indicated strong resistance b unfamiliar territory for a leader who easily won re-election last year with 63 percent of the vote. Casting his ballot, Chavez called the electronic voting system bone of the most modern in the world, one of the most transparent in the world.b His opponents have questioned the National Electoral Councilbs impartiality, however, especially after Chavez named Rodriguez, its former chief, his vice president in January. About 100 electoral observers from 39 countries in Latin America, Europe and the United States were on hand, the electoral council said. Absent were the Organization of American States and the European Union, which have monitored past votes. All was reported calm during voting but 45 people were detained, most for committing ballot-related crimes like bdestroying electoral materials,b said Gen. Jesus Gonzalez, chief of a military command overseeing security. At a polling station in one politically divided Caracas neighborhood, Chavez supporters shouted bGet out of here!b to opposition backers who stood nearby aiming to monitor the vote count. A few dozen Chavistas rode by on motorcycles with bandanas and hats covering their faces, some throwing firecrackers. Opponents b including Roman Catholic leaders, press freedom groups, human rights groups and prominent business leaders b fear the reforms would grant Chavez unchecked power and threaten basic rights. Cecilia Goldberger, a 56-year-old voting in affluent eastern Caracas, said Venezuelans were being hoodwinked and do not really understand how Chavezbs power grab will affect them. She resented pre-dawn, get-out-the-vote tactics by Chavistas, including fireworks and reveille blaring from speakers mounted on cruising trucks. bI refuse to be treated like cattle and I refuse to be part of a communist regime,b the Israeli-born Goldberger said, adding that she and her businessman husband hope to leave the country. Chavez sought to capitalize on his personal popularity ahead of the vote. He is seen by many as a champion of the poor who has redistributed more oil wealth than any other leader in memory. Chavez, 53, says he will stay in power only as long as Venezuelans keep re-electing him b but has added that might be until 2050, when he would be 95 years old. The reforms would also grant Chavez control over the Central Bank and extend presidential terms from six to seven years. Many Chavez supporters say he needs more time in office to consolidate his unique brand of b21st century socialism,b and praise other proposed changes such as shortening the workday from eight hours to six, creating a social security fund for millions of informal laborers and promoting communal councils where residents decide how to spend government funds. Tensions have surged in recent weeks as university students led protests and occasionally clashed with police and Chavista groups. Some 140,000 soldiers and reservists were posted for the vote, the Defense Ministry said. Electoral council chief Tibisay Lucena called the vote bthe calmest webve had in the last 10 years.b B) 2007 The Associated Press. *** [Expect a Real Quick Rewrite from the New York Times so that they can reconcile losing an election with total control and dictatorship and lack of democracy. If an election result isn't close and it's pro-Chavez, it's a lopsided vote because elections aren't free and people are intimidated. If the opposition is too contentious and disorganized to decide on a candidate and abstains or stays home, it proves there's no contest and everything is rigged. But if referendum results are closer than prior elections, because of lower abstentionism and a much more complicated set of questions (69 changes to the Constitution, in two blocs voted on up or down separately) then that shows how bad Chavez is as well. Even people who would vote for him personally and approve of him might not like all the constitutional changes proposed. Especially "bad" is that it was a calm peaceful, serious election with no one violating laws against releasing premature results, no violence and no media issuing blatant lies about results. Romero calls "MOUNTING TENSION." -NY Transfer] The New York Slimes, TAKE ONE: The New York Times - Dec 3, 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/americas/03venezuela.html For Venezuela, Tension Mounts with Close Vote By SIMON ROMERO CARACAS, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 3 b From the unusually quiet streets of this capital to the hushed tones of state television announcers, Venezuela was on edge early Monday as voters awaited the outcome of a contentious referendum that would give President Hugo ChC!vez sweeping new powers. Hours after the polls closed, the government still had not released official results, causing political leaders to speculate that the vote was too close to call. That would be a stunning development in a country where Mr. ChC!vez and his supporters control nearly all of the levers of power. [MAYBE IT'S A DEMOCRACY, MR ROMERO, HUH? MAYBE THEY DON'T CONTROL EVERYTHING AS YOU CLAIM?] bThe result is quarrelsome,b Vice President Jorge RodrC-guez said in comments broadcast on national television. [QUARRELSOME?? HE MEANS CONTENTIOUS OR CLOSE PERHAPS.] Opposition leaders were more upbeat. bTonight, Venezuela has won,b said Manuel Rosales, governor of Zulia State and the oppositionbs candidate in presidential elections last year. Both supporters and critics of the president pointed to exit polls in their favor, suggesting a disputed outcome to the vote. [??? ONLY THREE EXIT POLLS WERE REPORTED, EACH REPORTING A 6-8% MARGIN IN FAVOR OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS PROPOSED. THERE WERE NO EXIT POLLS IN "FAVOR" OF THE OPPONENTS OF CHAVEZ.] Electoral officials said official results could be released early Monday, after reports from polling stations around the country trickled in here. In recent weeks, members of previously splintered opposition movements joined disillusioned ChC!vez supporters in an attempt to defeat the referendum on constitutional changes. The plan would abolish term limits, allow Mr. ChC!vez to declare states of emergency for unlimited periods and increase the statebs role in the economy, among other measures. A defeat would slow Mr. ChC!vezbs socialist-inspired transformation of the country. Venezuela, once a staunch ally of the United States, has become a leading opponent of the Bush administrationbs policies in the developing world. It has also taken the most profound leftward turn of any large Latin American nation in decades. The streets here were unusually quiet on Sunday evening, adding to the tension. Supporters of Mr. ChC!vez gathered around the presidential palace downtown to await the results, as they have done in past elections. The occasional blast of fireworks broke the rare silence of this city. The referendum followed several weeks of street protests and frenetic campaigning over the 69 amendments to the Constitution proposed by Mr. ChC!vez and his supporters. It caps a year of bold moves by the president, who forged a single Socialist party among his followers, forced a television network critical of the government off the public airwaves, and nationalized oil, telephone and electricity companies. In Caracas on Sunday, turnout in poorer neighborhoods, where support for Mr. ChC!vez is strong, indicated that the referendum was drawing a mixed response. bThe whole proposal is marvelous,b said Francis Veracierta, 52, a treasurer at a communal council here, one of thousands of local governing entities loyal to Mr. ChC!vez that he created this year. After awakening to predawn fireworks, she said she joined a line at 6 a.m. to vote at a school in Petare, an area of sprawling hillside slums here. bThe power is for us in the community,b said Ms. Veracierta, wearing a red shirt, red cap and belt with Che Guevarabs face on it. She said she credited Mr. ChC!vezbs government for giving her a $3,800 loan to start a small clothing business. Some of Mr. ChC!vezbs populist proposals, including an increase in social security benefits for some workers, have been praised even by his critics. Yet turnout in other poor districts was unexpectedly low, indicating that even the presidentbs backers were willing to follow him only so far. Some ChC!vez supporters expressed concern that if they voted against the measures they might be retaliated against. [RIGHT... WITH A TOTALLY ANONYMOUS ELECTRONIC BALLOT.] There was no line in front of the voting center at the Cecilio Acosta school in Petare on Sunday morning, as a few dozen people who had already voted milled about the street. Some volunteers working the voting machines sat idle, waiting for more voters to arrive. Other voting centers in Petare had lines outside, but they were less than half a block long. bIbm impressed by the lack of voters,b said Ninoska GonzC!lez, 37, who sells cigarettes on the street. bThis was full last year.b She described herself as a bChavistab who voted for the president in last yearbs presidential elections, but said she voted against his proposed changes on Sunday. bI donbt agree with some articles,b Ms. GonzC!lez said. Asked about the measure to pay social security benefits to workers in the informal economy like her, she said, bThatbs a lie.b Confusion persisted Sunday over the amendments, with a major complaint among the presidentbs supporters and critics that they had too little time to study the proposals. Unlike in past votes here, this time the government did not invite observers from the Organization of American States or the European Union, opening itself to potential claims of fraud. [BUT OBSERVERS FROM 40 COUNTRIES WERE ON HAND.] The voting seemed to unfold largely without irregularities, though there were isolated reports of fraud and violence in parts of the country. In recent weeks, Mr. ChC!vez has adopted an increasingly confrontational tone with critics abroad, who have been multiplying even in friendly countries with moderate leftist governments like Brazil and Chile. In the days before the referendum, Mr. ChC!vez recalled his ambassador from Colombia and threatened to nationalize the Venezuelan operations of Spanish banks after Spainbs king told him to shut up during a meeting. Mr. ChC!vez said he would cut off oil exports to the United States in the event of American interference in the vote. The United States remains the largest buyer of Venezuelabs oil, despite deteriorating political ties, but that long commercial relationship is starting to change as Mr. ChC!vez increases exports of oil to China and other countries while gradually selling off the oil refineries owned by Venezuelabs government in the United States. Venezuelabs political opposition, normally divided among several small political parties, found common cause in calling on its members to vote against the amendments. An increasingly defiant student movement also protested here and in other large interior cities against the proposed charter. In a move that alarmed the opposition, electoral officials over the weekend revoked the observer credentials of Jorge Quiroga, a former president of Bolivia and an outspoken critic of Mr. ChC!vez. Mr. Quiroga accused security forces here of following him after his arrival in Caracas. bTheybve taken my credential but not my tongue,b Mr. Quiroga said. [HERE'S ONE COMPLAINT FROM AN ELECTION "OBSERVER -- AN ANTI-CHAVEZ FORMER PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA ] But Mr. ChC!vez, whose followers already control many powerful institutions b the National Assembly, the federal bureaucracy, the national oil company, the Supreme Court and all but a handful of state governments b relied on an unrivaled political machine to gather support for the measures. Uncertainty over Mr. ChC!vezbs reforms, meanwhile, has led to accelerating capital flight as rich Venezuelans and private companies rush to buy assets abroad denominated in dollars or euros. The currency, the bolC-var, currently trades at about 6,100 to the dollar in street trading, compared with an official rate of 2,150. Venezuelabs state-controlled oil industry is also showing signs of strain, grappling with a purge of opposition management by Mr. ChC!vez and a retooling of the state oil company to focus on social welfare projects while aging oil fields need maintenance. PetrC3leos de Venezuela, the state oil company, says it produces 3.3 million barrels a day, but OPEC places its output at just 2.4 million barrels. And private economists estimate that a third of oil production goes to meet domestic consumption, which is surging because of a subsidy that keeps gasoline prices at about seven cents a gallon. Still, Mr. ChC!vez already has unprecedented discretionary control over Venezuelabs oil revenues, valued at more than $60 billion a year. bBecause of its oil, Venezuela has global reach in OPEC and the rest of Latin America,b said Kenneth R. Maxwell, a professor of Latin American history at Harvard University. [Jens Erik Gould contributed reporting.] Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company * ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us Our main website: http://www.blythe.org List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr =================================================================