Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CARACAS119
2009-11-05 20:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Caracas
Cable title:
ELECTORAL COUNCIL RECTOR ON 2010 ELECTIONS, TE
how-toVZCZCXRO0445 PP RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHMT RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC DE RUEHCV #1419/02 3092009 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 052009Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3940 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 03 CARACAS 00119
SIPDIS
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2029
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: ELECTORAL COUNCIL RECTOR ON 2010 ELECTIONS, TE
OPPOSITION, AND VOTER FRAUD
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* Missing Section 001 *
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CARACAS 00000119 002.2 OF 003
as Venevision hd been intimidated into favoring Chavista
candidtes with their programming. Diaz asserted that the
imbalance in free media AIR time between the GBRV and the
opposition and self-censorship and partisanship by the media
were the biggest obstaces to establishing a fair electoral
playing fiel.
-------------- --
ELECTORAL REGISTRY FRAUD: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHNG
-------------- --
6. (C) Diaz downplayed opposition complaint about
inaccuracies in the REP, which was only a good as the
information fed into it. He noted tat much of Venezuela's
poor majority -- as many s 1.6 million people, or abot ten
percent of the voting population -- do not have physical
addresses since they live in barrios that are not formally
zoned and registered. Additionally, many Venezuelans
registered prior to 1996, when legislation was passed that
required a physical address to register. Moreover, many
voters never submit updated name and address information to
the CNE, and deceased voters often remain on the REP due to
paperwork delays. Diaz rejected opposition claims that they
lacked the same level of access to the REP as the GBRV,
contending that an updated copy of the list was sent to each
political party every month and that all the information was
available online, except for voters' addresses, which the
Venezuelan Supreme Court (TSJ) had ruled were protected as
private information.
7. (C) Diaz dismissed the opposition's fraud conspiracies,
claiming that of thousands of investigations of alleged voter
fraud, the CNE had only established eighteen instances of a
person voting illegally, such as voting twice in the same
election. He speculated that some of the most sensational
allegations might have been generated by the PSUV's political
intelligence apparatus to discourage opposition voters, who
would feel that "it wasn't worth it to vote." Diaz argued
that the opposition's real challenge was to register the
approximately 1.3 million potential young voters. The CNE
had not issued any publicity surrounding its latest voter
registration drive, a fact Diaz saw as an intentional
decision by the CNE's Chavista majority to prevent the
registry of youths likely to support the opposition.
-------------- --
OPPOSITION CANDIDATE SELECTION: NO EASY ANSWERS
-------------- --
8. (C) Diaz lamented that there was no way for the CNE to
force the opposition parties to democratize. He observed
that the most "democratic" party in Venezuela, the PSUV, held
the most autocratic vision for Venezuela, while those parties
with the most progressive political agenda were the most
authoritarian in their internal affairs. He worried that
important leaders within the opposition who either did not
run in the 2008 state and local elections, or who were not
favored by their party leaders, would not be selected as
candidates in the 2010 elections.
9. (C) When asked about opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez's
calls for nationwide opposition primaries to select
candidates for the 2010 elections (see septel),Diaz noted
Lopez's serious underestimate of the cost and questioned the
likelihood of the opposition agreeing to hold them. However,
Diaz said the electoral timeline would have a deadline,
probably May, to hold opposition primaries, and he suggested
the parties seek consensus until that date, and then hold
primaries for any remaining contested slots. Diaz said he
was looking for ways to minimize the cost of the primaries,
which the Constitution requires the CNE to charge
non-government entities, so that "cost" did not become an
excuse for not holding them. Since the election for AN
Deputies involves both a party slate of candidates and a list
of individual candidates ("nominales"),Diaz suggested that
the November 2008 state and local election results be used to
determine the relative weight of each opposition party in the
"opposition party slate," and that primaries be used to
select the slate of individual candidates.
-------------- --------------
CNE Rectors: United on Political Issues, Divided by
Personalities
-------------- --------------
10. (C) Diaz described the four Chavista rectors as divided
into two camps that were not on speaking terms: President
***********************
* Missing Section 003 *
***********************
SIPDIS
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2029
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: ELECTORAL COUNCIL RECTOR ON 2010 ELECTIONS, TE
OPPOSITION, AND VOTER FRAUD
***********************
* Missing Section 001 *
***********************
CARACAS 00000119 002.2 OF 003
as Venevision hd been intimidated into favoring Chavista
candidtes with their programming. Diaz asserted that the
imbalance in free media AIR time between the GBRV and the
opposition and self-censorship and partisanship by the media
were the biggest obstaces to establishing a fair electoral
playing fiel.
-------------- --
ELECTORAL REGISTRY FRAUD: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHNG
-------------- --
6. (C) Diaz downplayed opposition complaint about
inaccuracies in the REP, which was only a good as the
information fed into it. He noted tat much of Venezuela's
poor majority -- as many s 1.6 million people, or abot ten
percent of the voting population -- do not have physical
addresses since they live in barrios that are not formally
zoned and registered. Additionally, many Venezuelans
registered prior to 1996, when legislation was passed that
required a physical address to register. Moreover, many
voters never submit updated name and address information to
the CNE, and deceased voters often remain on the REP due to
paperwork delays. Diaz rejected opposition claims that they
lacked the same level of access to the REP as the GBRV,
contending that an updated copy of the list was sent to each
political party every month and that all the information was
available online, except for voters' addresses, which the
Venezuelan Supreme Court (TSJ) had ruled were protected as
private information.
7. (C) Diaz dismissed the opposition's fraud conspiracies,
claiming that of thousands of investigations of alleged voter
fraud, the CNE had only established eighteen instances of a
person voting illegally, such as voting twice in the same
election. He speculated that some of the most sensational
allegations might have been generated by the PSUV's political
intelligence apparatus to discourage opposition voters, who
would feel that "it wasn't worth it to vote." Diaz argued
that the opposition's real challenge was to register the
approximately 1.3 million potential young voters. The CNE
had not issued any publicity surrounding its latest voter
registration drive, a fact Diaz saw as an intentional
decision by the CNE's Chavista majority to prevent the
registry of youths likely to support the opposition.
-------------- --
OPPOSITION CANDIDATE SELECTION: NO EASY ANSWERS
-------------- --
8. (C) Diaz lamented that there was no way for the CNE to
force the opposition parties to democratize. He observed
that the most "democratic" party in Venezuela, the PSUV, held
the most autocratic vision for Venezuela, while those parties
with the most progressive political agenda were the most
authoritarian in their internal affairs. He worried that
important leaders within the opposition who either did not
run in the 2008 state and local elections, or who were not
favored by their party leaders, would not be selected as
candidates in the 2010 elections.
9. (C) When asked about opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez's
calls for nationwide opposition primaries to select
candidates for the 2010 elections (see septel),Diaz noted
Lopez's serious underestimate of the cost and questioned the
likelihood of the opposition agreeing to hold them. However,
Diaz said the electoral timeline would have a deadline,
probably May, to hold opposition primaries, and he suggested
the parties seek consensus until that date, and then hold
primaries for any remaining contested slots. Diaz said he
was looking for ways to minimize the cost of the primaries,
which the Constitution requires the CNE to charge
non-government entities, so that "cost" did not become an
excuse for not holding them. Since the election for AN
Deputies involves both a party slate of candidates and a list
of individual candidates ("nominales"),Diaz suggested that
the November 2008 state and local election results be used to
determine the relative weight of each opposition party in the
"opposition party slate," and that primaries be used to
select the slate of individual candidates.
-------------- --------------
CNE Rectors: United on Political Issues, Divided by
Personalities
-------------- --------------
10. (C) Diaz described the four Chavista rectors as divided
into two camps that were not on speaking terms: President
***********************
* Missing Section 003 *
***********************