Threat to Venezuelan election

The Miami Herald November 5, 1998 Threat to Venezuelan election Political antagonism, accusations of fraud are feared

             CARACAS, Venezuela -- (EFE) -- Political antagonism and potential accusations
             of fraud threaten to disrupt legislative and regional elections in Venezuela,
             according to the chairman of the National Electoral Council, Rafael Parra.

             Among the main risks are possible delays in installing more than 20,000 polling
             stations throughout the country, according to Parra. In addition, he cited the
             possibility of certain groups seeking to keep the election results from the public if
             they are regarded as unfavorable.

He pointed to several ``key states -- for example: Zulia, Sucre and Bolivar, where
political antagonism truly exists.''

             Around 11 million Venezuelan voters will elect 189 deputies, 46 senators, 23 state
             governors and 372 legislative assembly members in Sunday's elections -- the most
             complicated regional elections in the nation's 40-year democracy.

             A growing public disenchantment with Venezuela's two oldest and largest political
             parties, the social democratic Democratic Action and Christian democratic Copei,
             have contributed to the growing uncertainty.

             Meanwhile, Venezuela's presidential race seems to be heading for a close finish
             between the anti-establishment candidate, former coup leader Hugo Chavez, and a
             pro-business former state governor, Henrique Salas, according to opinion polls.

The surveys indicate that candidates from the states of Zulia, Sucre and Bolivar are
locked in close races.

``In those places, it is possible that parties will try to distort, change or impede the
election process in order to declare election fraud,'' Parra said.

             In the oil-rich western state of Zulia, retired military officer Francisco Arias, who
             participated in the 1992 coup attempt along with Chavez, is in a close race with
             AD candidate Manuel Rosales, the favorite in the polls.

In the states of Sucre and Bolivar, candidates are trying to win over some of the
ground lost to Chavez sympathizers.

             In Sunday's elections, some 7,000 computerized ballots will be used for the first
             time, a change electoral authorities said will prevent, or at least reduce, the
             customary fraud.