QueenZone discussion #1062409

The Vote Was Not Free or Transparent Vladimir Churov, head of the Central Elections Commission, gave a small group of foreign reporters a personal guarantee five days before the State Duma elections took place. "They will be the most free, most transparent and most suitable elections for citizens," Churov said. Churov was right about one thing: The elections were transparent. Indeed, it was clear long before the results started coming in Sunday night that United Russia would win by a landslide. More disturbing are the statements from numerous people -- including bureaucrats, doctors, teachers and students -- that they planned to vote for United Russia and convince friends to vote as well to avoid being fired, passed up for a promotion or given bad grades. The senior election official -- who was told to vote for United Russia and asked to recruit 10 people to follow suit -- said the pressure was coming from the party. This kind of badgering is unacceptable. Elections cannot be described as free unless they are insulated from external authority, interference or restrictions, and no talk of the peculiarities of sovereign democracy can explain this away.

Micrówave wrote: Yes, so he doesn't get to be the banker either. But nobody really likes him. The situation in Russia is strange to me, because everyone seems to like Putin:

Mr.Jingles wrote: Ahh, I know Mari is having a blast!

artemismoon wrote:

Micrówave wrote: Yes, so he doesn't get to be the banker either. But nobody really likes him. The situation in Russia is strange to me, because everyone seems to like Putin:

A lot of people in Russia prefer a Communist State than democracy. It's that simple really. I don't get it.

Tero wrote:

artemismoon wrote:

Micrówave wrote: Yes, so he doesn't get to be the banker either. But nobody really likes him. The situation in Russia is strange to me, because everyone seems to like Putin:

A lot of people in Russia prefer a Communist State than democracy. It's that simple really. I don't get it.

Communist state? The communist party is in the opposition with 10% of the votes... Just because Putin is a Russian and approaching a dictatorship, it doesn't make him a communist. Chavez is much closer to being a communist than Putin because he's "stealing from the rich" and "giving to the poor", and that's why his defeat in the elections will be much more important to the US media. As long as Putin is supporting at least a pseudo-capitalist oligarchy instead of capturing the businesses directly into state control, he will be held in much greater respect no matter how undemocratic the country really is. :/

HistoryGirl wrote: Anyone who thinks that Chavez is done now is truly a new level of naive. A man like that, who has worked as hard for as long as he has to impose his will on the people of a country will not take a little setback like this lying down. Sure he looks calm now, resigned to his loss. But I can bet you dollars to donuts that he will find some way around this. Do not expect him to fade from the limelight any time soon...or quickly for that matter.

<font color="lime">Raf840 wrote: I'm another one who believes Chavez will try to use less democratic ways to keep himself powerful.

Mr.Jingles wrote:

HistoryGirl wrote: Anyone who thinks that Chavez is done now is truly a new level of naive. A man like that, who has worked as hard for as long as he has to impose his will on the people of a country will not take a little setback like this lying down. Sure he looks calm now, resigned to his loss. But I can bet you dollars to donuts that he will find some way around this. Do not expect him to fade from the limelight any time soon...or quickly for that matter.

I agree The battle against Chavez is still far from over, but this truly represents a steps towards bringing democracy back in Venezuela. If anything, this will be a wake up call to Chavez to realize that his ppopulist tactics are not working the way he expected. He will certainly try to find other ways to gather more power.

HistoryGirl wrote: Anyone who thinks that Chavez is done now is truly a new level of naive. A man like that, who has worked as hard for as long as he has to impose his will on the people of a country will not take a little setback like this lying down. Sure he looks calm now, resigned to his loss. But I can bet you dollars to donuts that he will find some way around this. Do not expect him to fade from the limelight any time soon...or quickly for that matter. I am honestly more concerned with Russia, but I'll start a thread about that so this one isn't hijacked.

Tero wrote: Chavez is much closer to being a communist than Putin because he's "stealing from the rich" and "giving to the poor", and that's why his defeat in the elections will be much more important to the US media.

josedequeso wrote:

HistoryGirl wrote: Anyone who thinks that Chavez is done now is truly a new level of naive. A man like that, who has worked as hard for as long as he has to impose his will on the people of a country will not take a little setback like this lying down. Sure he looks calm now, resigned to his loss. But I can bet you dollars to donuts that he will find some way around this. Do not expect him to fade from the limelight any time soon...or quickly for that matter. I am honestly more concerned with Russia, but I'll start a thread about that so this one isn't hijacked.

Well said, there is no way in hell chavez is stepping down on his own. Too oversimplify the situation, the Venezualan people are fucked! I feel very sorry for them. And why are you more concerned with Russia? They don't have any oil :P

Mr. Nice Guy wrote: The good boy act by Chavez didn't last very long. Yesterday in a statement to the press surrounded by military officers at the Miraflores presidential palace he called his opponents victory in Sundays election "mierda"- shit. He also stated that he intended to reintroduce his supposed package of reforms for a vote again in 2009.