2005: The Opposition Boycotted the National Assembly
Election, Government-supporters Won all the Seats
In the 2000
National Assembly election, pro-government candidates won 52% of the seats. The
2005 election of the 167 members of the NA was scheduled for Sunday December 4,
2005. Polls indicated that pro-government candidates would win more than 2/3’s
of the seats.[3] On September 20, the Opposition announced that it had agreed
to a unified slate of candidates for the election. The European Union (EU) sent
150 delegates to observe the election while the OAS sent 60.
The Electoral
campaign was devoid of debate on issues other than the trustworthiness of the
voting process [1]. The Opposition demanded that the Electoral Council (CNE)
withdraw fingerprint scanners which were supposed to prevent double voting, but
which, opposition parties argued, could be used to identify how people voted
[1]. On November 28 in a deal brokered by the OAS, the CNE agreed to not use
the fingerprint scanners. The OAS announced that the Opposition political
parties had “committed themselves to participating in the elections.” [4] On
November 28, three Opposition parties (AD, Copei, Project Venezuela) announced
that they would boycott the election. On November 30 the Justice First and New
Era parties announced that they would join the boycott. These five political
parties represented the majority of opposition candidates [2]. Party leaders
stated that this was because of a lack of trust in Venezuela’s voting system.
Jose Miguel Insulza, the General Secretary of the OAS, stated
that “the Venezuelan opposition assured us that they would not withdraw from
the electoral process if certain conditions were met. These were met and
despite this, they withdrew.” [5] The EU said that the CNE had “demonstrated a
clear willingness to meet the demands of the opposition to increase confidence
in the process.”
Pro-government candidates won all 167
seats. Voter turnout was 25%. (Opposition supporters abstained; pro-government
supporters did not vote since the outcome was predetermined by the boycott;
torrential rains occurred). Opposition leaders said the low turnout made the
National Assembly illegitimate. The NY Times wrote that: “The opposition
decision appeared to be aimed at appealing to international support and
discrediting Venezuela’s government.” [2] By pulling out, they signaled that
the government should be opposed from outside of the political system [7] Jose
Miguel Vivanco from Human Rights Watch stated that it would be difficult for
the opposition “to present themselves as victims that deserve solidarity from
the international community.” [3]
The Justice First party was probably the only opposition
party that would have at least held on to the seats it had in the NA. A strong
showing could have positioned the Party as the strongest opposition party and
could have propelled its NA member Julio Borges to the Presidential nomination
in 2006.[6] In September 2007, Borges said:” I believe that the boycott of the
2005 elections was an extraordinary gigantic error.” [8]
1 Venezuelanalysis, EU Observers Blame lack of Confidence
in Venezuelan Elections on Campaign, March 16, 2006
2.New York Times, Chavez’s Grip tightens as Rivals Boycott
Vote, December 5, 2005
3. CRS, Venezuela: Political Conditions and U.S.
Policy,2003-2009, July 28, 2009
4.OAS, Statement of the Elector Observer Mission of
the OAS in Venezuela, November28, 2005.
5. Venezuelanalysis, General Secretary says OAS had
a “problem” with Venezuela’s opposition, December 26, 2005
6. Venezuelanalysis, How and Why Venezuela’s
Opposition Imploded, December 4, 2005
7. Venezuelanalysis, How Venezuela’s Primero Justica Has
Blown Its Greatest opportunity, December 2, 2005
8. Venezuelanalysis, Venezuelan opposition Invited to
National Assembly to Debate Constitutional Reform, September 12,
2007
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