2013 Early Venezuela Presidential Election

[minionofmidas]

I hail our new leader, Nicolas Maduro.

[minionofmidas]

Nonstandard first name, fairly indigenous looking face... no prices for guessing what camp this woman is from.

Also, her predecessor as head of CNE went from there to becoming vice president (for less than two years, then he resigned to run for state Governor.) Oh, and the only other CNE member to have a wikipedia page has that apparently for a single reason: he is

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Whoever worded that.

That said, the CNE is independent in the sense that the Government can't just remove any members.

[minionofmidas]

So, the "only independent guy" on the CNE was not there when they rigged the 300.000 votes ?

Did they drug him ?

Or threaten that they kill his family ?

Offered him a couple millions from oil money ?

Why is he silent when a few hundred thousand votes were rigged according to the right-wingers ?

"openly politically independent" could conceivably mean "not openly a party member, though he is in their boat of course"... though if whoever worded that meant it that way "the current ruling" bit is an odd formulation to use. If English was their mother tongue, anyways.

One thing we do know based on past form is: The possibility that Capriles actually polled exactly at, very narrowly below, or anywhere above the first set of opposition-circulated numbers (so the 1.4mio vote lead) is dead zero.

[minionofmidas]

A bit of research. Yes, that guy on the CNE is an opposition man. And he wants a full manual recount.

It is, you know, conceivable likely that the government is panicky because they hadn't expected such a close result at all, certainly not with turnout near last year's levels, and they know who is to blame: Their next President. That clown ran a very incompetent campaign. ag is right on one thing: Maduro is damaged goods after this election. He'll be seen as at best a  primus inter pares by the military in the Boliburguesa.

Incidentally, I also see rumours that Capriles offered a "pact" - ie a corrupt bargain -  in exchange for an election concession.

[minionofmidas]

So... the CNE has noticed by now that the opposition did not in fact have a coup prepared. Hope the government notices the same thing today.