CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez exhorted supporters to treat next Sunday’s parliamentary vote as a “battle” for the two-thirds majority needed so his government can push on unimpeded with socialist reforms.
Venezuela’s opposition boycotted the last National Assembly vote in 2005, meaning Chavez has had legislative carte blanche for nationalizations and other policies of his self-styled “revolution” in the South American oil producer.
Opposition parties have changed tactics this time, however, uniting under the umbrella Democratic Unity grouping.
Polls show they are within a few percentage points of the ruling Socialist Party, benefiting from discontent with crime, economic recession, high inflation and some weariness with Chavez’s authoritarian style after 11 years in power.
But electoral rules favour the government, many Chavez supporters still regard him as a messiah for the poor, and the provision of free education and healthcare is a vote-winner.
So analysts expect Chavez to keep a majority but are less sure whether the government and allies can win two-thirds.
“No less than two-thirds of the assembly,” Chavez declared as the government’s goal, dedicating his regular Sunday column ‘The Lines of Chavez’ to electoral tactics.
“Thus we ensure continued peaceful, democratic transition of our Venezuela towards socialism, in line with the positions of Christ the Redeemer and the noble aims of Simon Bolivar.”
As well as mentioning Jesus and Venezuela’s independence hero Bolivar, Chavez also quoted Napoleon’s military strategy in a series of detailed instructions to supporters, including specific times to concentrate efforts getting the vote out.
The government needs at least two-thirds, or 110 of the 165 seats in the assembly, to pass major legislation such as local government shake-ups or more nationalizations.
Chavez does, though, have the option of using fast-track decree powers to bypass parliament, but for that he would need the support of three-fifths, or 99, of the lawmakers.
