Venezuela’s opposition charges voting districts changed to favor pro-Chavez candidates

Chavez foes call voting district changes unfair

CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez’s foes charged Wednesday that newly announced changes to voting districts in a third of Venezuela will put opposition candidates at a disadvantage in congressional elections.

Ismael Garcia, an anti-Chavez lawmaker, accused the National Electoral Council of gerrymandering in seven of Venezuela’s 23 states and its two largest cities, Caracas and Maracaibo. He said the redrawn district lines would favor pro-Chavez candidates in September’s vote.

The electoral council, which is controlled by officials widely perceived to be Chavez confidants, merged districts in the states of Amazonas, Lara, Barinas, Carabobo, Miranda, Tachira and Zulia on Tuesday.

Council President Tibisay Lucena denied the changes were made to help Chavez’s allies. She said populations have increased or decreased in many states and voting districts should reflect those changes.

Vicente Diaz, the lone opposition-friendly official on the council, was the only one of its five members to vote against the changes, which were made possible under legislation passed last year by the predominantly pro-Chavez National Assembly.

Enrique Marquez, an electoral adviser to the coalition of opposition parties, noted most voting district changes were made in states where opposition candidates made gains in 2008 gubernatorial and mayoral elections, including victories in Caracas and Maracaibo.

“In the states where it was convenient for the government to leave things as they were, the districts didn’t change,” Marquez said.

Chavez has beat opponents in most elections during his 11-year presidency. But opposition parties hope to make a strong showing in September because of a range of problems, including rolling blackouts in much of Venezuela, 25 percent inflation and widespread violent crime.

Pro-Chavez parties, led by the president’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela, now hold a dominant majority in the assembly — controlling 156 of its 167 seats — largely because major opposition parties boycotted congressional elections in 2005.

Chavez urged his supporters on Wednesday to prepare for what could be a tough campaign, warning that an opposition triumph could create problems for him.

He brought up the elections while inaugurating a new cable car system in a poor Caracas neighborhood, although he didn’t mention the voting district changes.

“We have an obligation to win this battle, and that means we must work very hard,” Chavez said.