PSUV Wins Simple Majority in the National Assembly, but Capitalists Regain Space

In the parliamentary elections on Sunday 26 September, the PSUV [United Socialist Party of Venezuela] won a volume and distribution of votes that gave it a simple majority in regards to the number of deputies in the National Assembly. The triumph of socialist candidates preserves the political continuity of the democratic process led by President Chavez, and shows that the bulk of the population prefers the anti-capitalist and the socialist path.

But notably, a factor of vulnerability has been imposed, given that the PSUV and its allies did not achieve the necessary two-thirds in order to have an absolute majority. The rightwing, although a minority and far surpassed by the Bolivarians, managed to impose themselves with a considerable force in the parliament, increasing its ability to interfere with the Venezuelan revolutionary process and place obstacles in the way of actions taken by the government of President Chávez. This will also strengthen their capacity to conspiracy and make more difficult the challenge that the President and the revolutionary process will have to confront when the time comes for presidential elections in 2012.

According to the first official announcement by the National Electoral Council, issued at 2:20 am [Venezuelan time], later than what was expected from the automated electoral system, but with the results being irreversible, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies won 95 of the 165 National Assembly seats, giving them a parliamentary majority, but not full control of the legislative body. There were still 11 seats undetermined at the time of the announcement presented by the CNE.

The candidates of the PSUV and the National Indian Council of Venezuela (CONIVE) won 6 of 12 deputies to the Latin American Parliament, with one seat yet to be determined. As a result, the pro-imperialist rightwing will also have a significant weight in this space.

CNE president Tibisay Lucena informed that there was a historical level of participation in these elections, with 66.45% exercising their right to vote, out of a total of 17,575,975 eligible voters. As is traditional, she pointed out the civic, democratic, peaceful and happy conduct of the Venezuelan people in a process that respected the rules and constitutional order in the country, shattering once again, the versions disseminated by the private media and transnational corporations, which seek to portray the Venezuelan government as “dictatorial.”

Bolivarian socialist candidates won victories in Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Distrito Capital, Falcon, Guarico, Merida, Monagas, Lara, Portuguesa, Trujillo, Vargas and Yaracuy, as well as equalling [the number of deputies won compared to the opposition] in Miranda and Sucre. The results of Apure state were still pending at the time of reporting.

The capitalist right-wing won at least 57 deputies. It won in states of great importance such as Zulia and Tachira. It also won in Nueva Esparta. The margin of victory achieved by the counterrevolution in Anzoátegui State, governed by a Chavista leader, was surprising. In Miranda, there was a tie.

Faced with an assembly with such features, the PSUV will have to more firmly base itself on the social force of the people, on the workers, peasants, movements, organised communities, and organizations of popular power. The mobilization of people and their real active participation through legislative initiatives and closer involvement in the design of the new laws will be essential to achieving revolutionary goals, faced with the rightwing that will use their new positions to try to slow down and halt the Venezuelan revolutionary process. The legislative people must make themselves felt. The class struggle will be reflected more intensely in the new National Assembly.

Translated from Aporrea.org by Kiraz Janicke for Green Left Weekly.