• Facebook
  • Facebook
  • Facebook
  • Facebook

Search This Blog

Visit our new website.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Referendum EU-style in Venezuela

It seems like the EU is not only the world's greatest exporter of regulations, but also exports its democratic practices accross the globe.

In Venezuela, a proposal to end presidential term limits was one of a package of 69 constitutional changes narrowly rejected in a referendum in late 2007.

No problem for President Hugo Chavez, who organised a new referendum last Sunday, which he has won, and which will allow him now to run for a third six-year term in 2012. 54% voted in favour, 46% against.

The BBC notes that "one factor was probably the change in the wording of the question, so that this time voters decided on whether term limits would be lifted for all officials not just the president."

The WSJ further reports that the win "comes as little surprise, given that Mr. Chávez controlled all aspects of the electoral process, ordered up favorable TV coverage and mobilized government institutions to get out the vote."

Asking people to vote again when the answer was "no", and trying to pretend you're asking a different question... Abusing your powers for propaganda purposes in order to affect the result... No doubt he has also accused the opposition of being financed by the CIA.

Sounds familiar eh?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

aargh, for a minute I thought you'd lifted my own article :

http://oxfordshire.ukip.org/articles/66-letter-from-south-america

REG CROWDER said...

REFERENCE: Your ridiculous whingeing about the electoral victory of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela

You guys are funny.

Let's turn it around and look at it from the perspective of a Venezuelan looking a Democratic values in the United Kingdom (an obvious oxymoron).

Q: So, what are the term limits for the British Prime Minister?

A: There aren't any. If he or she can get the votes, he or she can be Prime Minister for Life.

Q. What are the term limits for British Members of Parliament?

A. There aren't any. If he or she can get the votes, he or she can be Member of Parliament for Life. This includes the House of Commons.

Q. What role do British citizens have in the selection of the Prime Minister?

A. Britain doesn't have citizens, only Subjects of the Crown.

Q. Okay, what role do British Subjects of the Crown have in the Selection of the Prime Minister?

A. None whatsoever. British Subjects of the Crown have no say at all in the selection of the Prime Minister.

Q. Okay, but what safeguards are provided by the Constution?

A. You gotta be kidding. Britain doesn't have a Constitution.

Q. Okay, but regarding the selection and or retention of a British Prime Minister, what safeguards are provided by the laws of Parliament?

A. None.

Q. But the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the UK has ratified, has some things to say along these lines. Surely Britain has legally binding and enforceable guarantees for the protection of the human rights of its "Subjects."

A. Not any more. The European Union once guaranteed respect for human rights. But former Prime Minister Tony Blair, as one of his final official acts, obtained written assurances that the European Union would never interfere with the British government's violation of the human rights of its own people. That was about the time he used his power as Prime Minister to shut down a bribery investigation.

Q. What a guy. And you folks lecture other nations on Democracy. Wow. You should wear bags over your heads in public.

REG CROWDER
http://www.journalistdirectory.com/journalist/TgTQ/REG-CROWDER

Kepler said...

Actually, YOU are funny.

The United Kingdom may be far from being the most democratic country in Earth but Venezuela is much much farther still.

Why?
Venezuela is a strongly presidential system and that makes a huge difference. Please, tell me any non-mixed, purely presidential system where there is no limit for reelection.

Besides, the Venezuelan electoral system is absolutely corrupt and manipulated by Chavez people.
The EU? The Carter centre?
Please, read this:

http://venezuela-europa.blogspot.com/2009/04/venezuelas-voting-system.html


"A. You gotta be kidding. Britain doesn't have a Constitution."
Well, Venezuela's constitution is not worth the paper it is written in. Chavez has violated it time after time.
Opposition parties won in the last elections states where 45% of the population is. What does the Chavez people do?
They transferred at the last moment millions of dollars from those states to the central government, they transfer a TV station to the central government, they transferred two underground systems, the control of hospitals, schools and much more. Finally, as Chavez did not like the mayor of Caracas was an opposition leader, he decided to create another job that would become the new head of Caracas, completely circumventing the elected mayor and getting most of his budget away.
Lots of similar examples, he took away all airports, ports, control of motorways from states where the opposition was elected, everything and more contrary to the constitution.

"Q. But the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the UK has ratified, has some things to say along these lines. Surely Britain has legally binding and enforceable guarantees for the protection of the human rights of its "Subjects."

Subjects my foot. Chavez even publicly declares those who do not vote for him are oligarchs fascists who do not have the right to take to the streets, only Chavista followers can, for instance, go to the Plaza Bolivar or carry out demonstrations in many places.

I suggest you to tear down your EU passport and live in Venezuela and then you can talk about.