US embassy cable - 04CARACAS1054

C O N F I D E N T I A L  CARACAS 001054 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NSC FOR CBARTON 
USCINCSO ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCHA/OTI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2014 
 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, VE 
SUBJECT: VENEZUELA PREPARES FOR REGIONAL ELECTIONS 
 
REF: A. CARACAS 949 
     B. CARACAS 922 
 
Classified By: Abelardo A. Arias, Political Counselor, 
for Reason 1.4(b). 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) Opposition and pro-government candidates are 
registered for the August 1 regional elections as the 
registration period closed March 25.  At stake are 23 
governors, the high mayor of the metropolitan Caracas 
district, 336 mayors, and hundreds of municipal council 
positions -- in sum, the last part of state administration 
not totally controlled by President Hugo Chavez.  The 
National Elections Council (CNE) has already appointed some 
190,000 poll workers to support the 10,580 election tables. 
The CNE next publishes the candidate lists and rules on 
objections to candidate applications by May 5.  Given the 
CNE's track record on the presidential recall referendum, 
whether a fair and transparent electoral process is possible 
is a prime question for the opposition.  End summary. 
 
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609 Elected Positions Up For Grabs 
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2. (U) Political parties are engrossed in the candidate 
selection process for the August 1 elections for governors, 
mayors, and other state and municipal officials.  In all, 609 
elected positions will be filled:  23 governors, the mayor of 
the Caracas federal district, 336 mayors, and 269 state and 
federal district council members.  Governors and mayors are 
elected by plurality to a four-year term and may be 
re-elected once.  The seven- to fifteen-member state 
"legislative councils," which have limited legislative powers 
and budgetary oversight, are elected to four-year terms 
through both direct and proportional elections.  The Caracas 
federal district also elects a 13-member council.  States 
with indigenous populations are required to have one 
indigenous person on their respective councils. 
 
3. (C) The CNE plans to mount 8,344 voting centers throughout 
Venezuela (see ref b).  These centers will represent 10,580 
tables, 7,689 of which will be automated using 19,000 
election machines.  Jorge Tirado, whose U.S.-based company 
Smartmatic is helping the CNE organize the elections, told 
poloff March 24 that the CNE will try to consolidate tables 
so that some will use up to three machines.  About 90,000 
poll workers will be selected for election duties, Tirado 
said, with six or more workers assigned to a table, depending 
on size. 
 
4. (C) The National Electoral Council (CNE) reported on March 
26 it had received applications from 140 gubernatorial 
candidates and thousands of mayoral candidates.  After a 
period for objections and appeals, the CNE will finalize the 
candidate list on May 5.  Currently, the CNE plans to print 
the ballots on June 15, according to Tirado  (Note: 
Electoral laws do not specify a date by which a gubernatorial 
or mayoral candidate may withdraw.  Presumably, candidates 
who plan to pull out and throw their support to another would 
have to do so prior to June 15 to withdraw their names from 
the ballot.).  Election laws limit the campaign period from 
60 days before the election (in this case, June 2) to 48 
hours before the opening of the polls on August 1. 
 
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On International Observers 
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5. (C) The CNE has not announced publicly whether they will 
invite international observers for the regional elections. 
Accion Democratica (AD) official Luis Emilio Rondon told 
poloff March 24 the opposition will request the presence of 
observers.  OAS Chief of Staff Fernando Jaramillo told the 
Ambassador on March 24 that Rodriguez wants OAS/TCC as well 
 
as UN observers for the regional elections. 
 
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CNE Working Hard 
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6. (C) Rodriquez described the candidate registration process 
to reporters as "absolutely normal" with no reports of 
irregularities in the registration process.  Smartmatic's 
Tirado claimed to poloff that his consortium is "running" all 
aspects of the election.  Tirado asserted that he regularly 
advises Rodriguez on the elections, though he admitted 
Rodriguez does not always follow the advice.  (Note: Tirado 
mentioned he plans an election simulation for June 27.) 
 
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Comment 
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7. (C) The GOV is focusing on regional elections not so much 
as an alternative to the referendum, but rather to 
consolidate its power in the one area where it still lacks 
full control.  We expect the CNE, therefore, to dedicate its 
full attention to organizing the regional elections.  We also 
expect the CNE to show the same kind of pro-GOV biases during 
these elections as it has demonstrated with the referendum. 
International observation will be critical to ensuring a 
reasonably fair and transparent election. 
 
8. (C) Regional elections are linked to national issues, but 
local conditions intervene as well.  For the opposition, the 
key questions are can they winnow out competing opposition 
candidates to truly contest Chavez's candidates, and will the 
CNE play fair.  The MVR's challenges are the strength of some 
of the opposition candidates, and the extent to which Chavez 
can transfer his strength to the candidates, many of whom are 
old military colleagues. 
SHAPIRO 
 
 
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      2004CARACA01054 - CONFIDENTIAL