The emphasis on the abstention figure to delegitimise the parliamentary elections and the new National Assembly is a political ploy to discredit the CNE and the elected representatives of the Venezuelans, and destabilize the country. This has been going on since December 10th 2001, when the first general strike was called.

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For the fourth time, Venezuela’s opposition parties are undergoing a bizarre process implosion. One can only hope that this presumably last error (because they will be practically gone after that) will mean the rebirth of a responsible and constitutional opposition in Venezuela.

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The people of Venezuela have gone to the polls 11 times in seven years. Almost a superfluity of democracy, some might think, and signs of electoral fatigue could be detected in Sunday's elections for the National Assembly when only 30% of the electorate bothered to vote. The rest perceived the result as a foregone conclusion since in earlier elections President Hugo Chávez, or the candidates he backed, had stacked up substantial majorities. Sunday's poll followed the trend, and the Chávez list wiped the board.

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According to preliminary results released a few hours after voting centers closed, pro-Chavez parties won all seats in the National Assembly and Chavez's own MVR party won 114 out of the 167 seats. Opposition leaders argued that low turnout made the new National Assembly illegitimate.

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