PSUV BATTALION LEADERS ELECT LOYALISTS TO PARTY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000334 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER) E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM VE SUBJECT: PSUV BATTALION LEADERS ELECT LOYALISTS TO PARTY LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE REF: CARACAS 00286 CARACAS 00000334 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Dan Lawton for Reason 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) Summary. President Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela's (PSUV) held intra-party elections March 9 to fill the PSUV's 15-member leadership committee. PSUV local ("battalion") leaders elected well-known loyalists to one-year terms on the party's steering committee from the 69 names put on the ballot by Chavez. Education Minister and presidential brother Adan Chavez, National Assembly President Cilia Flores, Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro were among the top 15 vote-getters. Miranda Governor Diosdado Cabello, widely considered a potential successor to Chavez some day, did not make the cut. The much-delayed and divisive formation of the PSUV will be completed March 14 when Chavez plans to swear-in the leadership committee. The PSUV still needs to register formally with the National Electoral Council (CNE) as a political party and begin preparations for state and local elections in November. End Summary. -------------- Battalion Heads Pick Leadership -------------- ¶2. (SBU) PSUV Vice President and retired Army General Alberto Muller Rojas announced the results of intra-party elections for its leadership directorate during a press conference the evening of March 9. During a call-in, President Chavez said he will preside over the committee's swearing-in ceremony scheduled for March 14. Chavez announced the names of 69 PSUV candidates March 2 and appointed Muller Rojas as a PSUV VP during the final session of the party's founding congress in Maracaibo. ¶3. (SBU) Local media sources report that more than 70 percent of the approximately 94,000 eligible PSUV battalion leaders cast ballots in the elections. Participation rates were notably high given that only battalion leaders, not rank-and-file members, were allowed to vote for committee members. (Note: Government officials claim the PSUV has more than five million registered members among its ranks, although they concede that some 200,000 PSUV members regularly attended local party meetings. End Note). CNE provided 448 electronic voting machines at 361 voting centers, according to the pro-government daily "Vea". Government-owned Venezolana de Television (VTV) provided extensive coverage of the PSUV voting process. -------------- Few Surprises, Loyalist Win Seats -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Prominent government ministers and persons currently holding government positions won several committee seats. These include Minister of Education and presidential brother Adan Chavez, Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, Minister of Participation and Development Erika Faias, Minister of Land and Agriculture Elias Juau, and Governor of Portuguesa state Antonia Munoz. National Assembly President Cilia Flores National Assembly and Deputies Carlos Escarra and Noheli Pocaterra were among the elected as well. State-television (VTV) personalities, Mario Silva of the nightly talk show "The Razor Blade" and VTV journalist Vanessa Davies, were also elected to the committee. ¶5. (SBU) Former Education Minister and Patria Para Todos (PPT) National Assembly member Aristobulo Isturiz received the most votes cast (38,186). In addition, former Vice President Jorge Rodriguez and former Foreign Minister and Ambassador to CUBA Ali Rodriguez made the cut. Pro-government student leader Hector Rodriguez and Director of the Women's Institute (INAMUJER) Maria Leon will also form part of the leadership board. The newly elected committee members will serve one-year terms. PSUV "battalion" members elected an equal number of alternates. The more prominent alternates include Miranda Governor Diosdado Cabello, Libertador Borough Mayor Freddy Bernal, and Minister of Interior and Justice Ramon Rodriguez Chacin. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) The PSUV national leadership committee election was CARACAS 00000334 002.2 OF 002 essentially a "beauty contest" among prominent, Chavez-selected loyalists. Given that President Chavez personally placed all 69 names on the ballot, he cannot be displeased with the results. Moreover, as both President of the country and the PSUV, we expect Chavez will personally manage and direct PSUV activities. Local analysts are interpreting the results as favoring pro-Chavez civilians over Chavez's closest military supporters. None of the latter made the PSUV Top 15, including Diosdado Cabello, Secretary of the Presidency Jessie Chacon, National Assembly SIPDIS members Francisco Ameliach, and Lara Governor Luis Reyes Reyes, all of whom participated in the unsuccessful 1992 coup attempt led by Chavez. Despite Chavez's stated intention to generate genuine grassroots democracy in his new party, student leader Hector Rodriguez is the only "new face" among the PSUV leadership committee. DUDDY