Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
on 25 July 1999,
Dieter Nohlen
Dieter Nohlen (born 6 November 1939) is a German academic and political scientist. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Heidelberg. An ex ...
(2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II'', p555 following a
referendum
A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
in April on convening one.
Background
For the election two large coalitions were created; Patriotic Pole, which consisted of the
Fifth Republic Movement
The Fifth Republic Movement (Spanish: ''Movimiento V uintaRepública'', MVR) was a Socialism, socialist political party in Venezuela. It was founded in July 1997, following a national congress of the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200, to ...
Fatherland for All
Fatherland for All (''Patria Para Todos'', PPT) is a leftist political party in Venezuela. It was founded on September 27, 1997 by members of The Radical Cause party led by Pablo Medina, Aristóbulo Istúriz and Alí Rodríguez Araque. In 19 ...
, the
Communist Party of Venezuela
The Communist Party of Venezuela (, PCV) is a communist party in Venezuela. Founded in 1931, it is the oldest active political party in Venezuela, and was the country's main leftist party until it fractured into rival factions in 1971. The P ...
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; ; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician, Bolivarian Revolution, revolutionary, and Officer (armed forces), military officer who served as the 52nd president of Venezuela from 1999 until De ...
and revised by the CNE were approved. A proportional representation system to select of the members of the National Constituent Assembly was discarded, and in its place a personalized uninominal direct representation system was established, which divided the country into two great national circuits and one electoral circuit for each state, a system in disuse since the dictatorship of
Juan Vicente Gómez
Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón (24 July 1857 – 17 December 1935) was a Venezuelan military general, politician and '' de facto'' ruler of Venezuela from 1908 until his death in 1935. He only officially served as president on three occasions d ...
.
Conduct
Each voter had 10 votes.Nohlen, p568 Voter turnout was 46.2%.
Results
The result of the election of constituents was the over-representation of Chavismo in the Constituent Assembly and a crushing defeat for the opposition, which had once again gone to the polls divided. With 65% of the votes, pro-Chavez lists held a supermajority in the assembly. The Patriotic Pole won 121 of the 128 seats, whilst an additional three seats were taken by representatives of indigenous communities elected by indigenous associations. Although the great majority of the candidates were
civil society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere. As such, 33% of the forces that voted for candidates unrelated to the Chavismo only managed to have seven constituents, one of them being Antonia Muñoz, a dissident Chavista who soon rejoined the ruling party.
Aftermath
Political parties and civil associations were marginalized from the constituent process, and the role of opposition then fell on the state institutions, where the Congress and the Supreme Court stand out. After the elections, Democratic Action and Copei experienced internal crises: the former announced new base elections to renew the party, and the directive of the latter resigned immediately.
See also
*
April 1999 Venezuelan constitutional referendum
A referendum on convening a Constituent Assembly was held in Venezuela on 25 April 1999.1999 Constituent National Assembly of Venezuela
The Constituent National Assembly () or ANC was a Constitutional convention (political meeting), constitutional convention held in Venezuela in 1999 to draft a new Constitution of Venezuela, but the assembly also gave itself the role of a supreme ...
December 1999 Venezuelan constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Venezuela on 15 December 1999.Dieter Nohlen (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II'', p555 Voters were asked whether they approved of the new constitution drawn up by the Constituti ...
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...