| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Asamblea Nacional / National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
26 September 2010 |
| Timing and scope of renewal |
Elections were held for all the seats in the National Assembly. |
On 14 April 2010, the National Election Commission (CNE) called parliamentary elections for 26 September, three months ahead of the scheduled end of the outgoing legislature's term in December 2010. At stake were all 165 seats in the National Assembly.
The previous elections (December 2005) were boycotted by the country's three main opposition parties - Democratic Action (AD), Project Venezuela (PRYZL) and the Social Christian Party (COPEI) - and marked by a low turnout - 25 per cent, down from 56 per cent in 2000. President Hugo Chávez's Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) and its allies swept 161 of the 167 seats and the remaining seats went to other candidates supporting the President, who has been in power since 1999.
The 2010 elections were the first to be held under a new electoral law passed by the National Assembly in July 2009 (Ley de Procesos Electorales). The law contains measures said to favour major candidates and political parties (see note 1). It also relaxes voter requirements by allowing non-citizens over 18 years old who have lived in Venezuela for over 10 years to register. Under the previous electoral law, eligible voters had to be citizens by birth. The Law was gazetted in August 2009. In the same month, the National Assembly passed another law allowing the CNE to redraw electoral districts at any moment. President Chávez's allies said the new districts would favour indigenous and other marginalized groups while opposition leaders argued that the CNE would modify the districts so as to increase the ruling party's share. The districts used in the 2010 elections reportedly gave more representation per capita to states where President Chávez has strong support. The same law also reduced the percentage of seats filled under the proportional representation system, from 40 per cent to roughly 30 per cent, or 52 of the 165 seats.
In June 2009, 11 opposition parties formed an election coalition, the Coalition for Democratic Unity (Mesa de la Unidad Democrática, MUD) in view of the 2010 parliamentary elections. The coalition was led by the COPEI President, Mr. Luis Ignacio Planas. By April 2010, the MUD comprised some 50 parties and groups. The main parties included the COPEI, the AD, the Movement for Socialism, the Radical Cause (La Causa Radical) and Red Flag Party, A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo), Justice First (Primero Justicia), For Social Democracy (PODEMOS) and Clear Accounts (Cuentas Claras).
In all, 6,411 candidates were vying for seats in the 2010 elections. President Chávez led the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). It was challenged by the MUD.
President Chávez, although not a parliamentary candidate, dominated the PSUV's campaign. He accused opposition parties of serving the interests of wealthy citizens and the US Government. He urged voters to continue supporting his "Bolivarian Revolution". He stated that his target was to secure a two-thirds majority in the new National Assembly, the number required, inter alia, to amend the Constitution, appoint and remove members of the Supreme Court of Justice and the CNE, and create and abolish National Assembly standing committees.
President Chávez reportedly came under criticism for the water and power shortages that have plagued the country since late 2009 and for the rising crime rate (between 13,000 and 16,000 people were murdered in 2009).
The MUD promised to restore a "plural" National Assembly and restrict interference by the Executive in order to allow Venezuelans to live and progress peacefully. It pledged to make the National Assembly a place of dialogue, tolerance and consensus on solutions to the country's problems so as to guarantee all citizens a better life.
MUD candidates included several outspoken critics of President Chávez, such as Ms. Maria Corina Machado and Mr. Enrique Mendoza, leader of the Democratic Coordinator (CD, a former opposition alliance). In 2004, Súmate, a non-governmental organization, then headed by Ms. Machado, spearheaded a petition for a recall of President Chávez in which the CD was also involved. Ms. Machado was subsequently charged with treason and conspiracy. She urged voters to reject "Cuban-style communism".
Other major MUD candidates included Mr. Iván Simonovis, a former police chief serving a prison term for participating in a 2002 attempted coup d'état, and A New Era party leader Manuel Rosales, who ran against Mr. Chávez in the 2006 presidential elections and has since lived in exile in Peru.
In all, 66.45 per cent of some 17 million registered voters turned out at the polls, a sharp increase from the 25 per cent recorded in 2005.
The PSUV won 46 per cent of the total votes and took 95 of the 165 seats. With its three allies, which won one seat each (see note 2), the President's camp took 98 seats in all but was 12 seats short of a two-thirds majority. The MUD took 48 per cent of the votes but won only 65 seats, due mainly to the districts used in the 2010 elections (see note 3). Another opposition party, Fatherland for All (Patria Para Todos), took two seats with 2.9 per cent of the votes.
Ms. Machado and Mr. Mendoza of the MUD were the two highest vote-earners nationwide and were elected to Parliament.
On 5 January 2011, the newly elected National Assembly held its first session and elected Mr. Fernando Soto Rojas (PSUV) as its new Speaker.
Note 1:
The new law provides for a "twin" voting system (morochas) whereby two different parties may nominate the same candidate: once for a party list and once as a constituency (majority) candidate.
Note 2:
The PSUV's allies which won seats were the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) as well as two parties representing the indigenous community: the CONIVE, National Indian Council of Venezuela and the Foundation for Training, Integration and Dignity.
Note 3:
The 2010 election results showed that the MUD had obtained more votes in the six districts with the largest number of voters - Zulia, Miranda, Carabobo, Lara, Aragua, and the Metropolitan District, comprising 9,319,360 registered voters (52% of the total) but they elect only 64 of the 165 members (39%) in the National Assembly. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 26 September 2010 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
17'575'975
11'679'235 (66.45%)
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% of votes |
|
|
| United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Coalition for Democratic Unity (MUD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Fatherland for All (PPT) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total of seats
|
|
|
|
|
| United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies |
98
|
|
|
|
|
| Coalition for Democratic Unity (MUD) |
65
|
|
|
|
|
| Fatherland for All (PPT) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
137
28
16.97%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
National Assembly (01.02.2011)
http://www.cne.gob.ve
Note on the distribution of seats:
Breakdown for the seats won by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies:
- PSUV: 95 seats
- Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV): 1 seat
- CONIVE, National Indian Council of Venezuela: 1 seat*
- Foundation for Training, Integration and Dignity: 1 seat*
Breakdown for the majority seats won by the Coalition for Democratic Unity (MUD):
- A New Era (Un Nuevo Tiempo): 10 seats
- Justice First (Primero Justicia): 10 seats
- Democratic Action (AD): 8 seats
- Social Christian Party (COPEI): 5 seats
- For Social Democracy (PODEMOS): 2 seats
- Clear Accounts (Cuentas Claras): 1 seat
- Radical Cause (La Causa Radical): 1 seat
- Project Venezuela (PRYZL): 1 seat
- Zulia State Autonomous Indigenous Movement: 1 seat*
*Theses seats are reserved for indigenous people of Venezuela. |
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