CARACAS, Venezuela (AP):
A TEAM of European Union observers said yesterday that opposition complaints fed widespread voter mistrust and helped caused a low turnout in elections swept by President Hugo Chavez's party and allies.
José Silva, the team's head, did not comment on allegations of election irregularities but praised the National Elections Council, or CNE, which had been heavily criticised by opposition groups ahead of the December 4 vote.
The opposition parties' campaign "was focused, almost exclusively, on the lack of trust in the electoral system and the lack of independence of the CNE," Silva told a news conference.
Many Venezuelans did not trust the nation's elections system, leading them to abstain from voting, he said.
CNE President Jorge Rodriguez has accused Chavez foes and the nation's private media of leading a smear campaign against the elections council, and defended the elections as clean and transparent.
Sunday's voter turnout of about 25 percent was lower than in recent Venezuelan congressional elections in 1998 and 2000, when about 50 to 60 percent turned out. Chavez's supporters say the opposition called for the boycott because polls showed they were going to lose.
The CNE has yet to release official election results, but ruling party lawmakers have said candidates of Chavez's Fifth Republic Movement party won 114 seats and that allied parties won all the rest in the 167-member chamber.
Five major opposition parties pulled out of the race, saying they did not trust the electoral system. Chavez dismissed the boycott as a failed ploy to sabotage legitimate elections and avoid defeat.
The boycotting parties argue the elections council is pro-Chavez and expressed concerns about the voter registry and touchscreen voting machines. Elections officials denied any problems, saying they made many concessions for the opposition.
The Organisation of American States had 60 observers monitoring the vote, while the European Union had 160 observers on hand.
