Venezuelan ruling party claims victory in congressiional election

The Venezuelan ruling party MVR, which aimed to win a two-thirds majority in the legislative election, announced Sunday that it achieved the goal by getting 114 seats in the 167-member congress.

The claimed victory, if confirmed by the Venezuelan National Electoral Council, will enable President Hugo Chavez to end the presidential term limits and seek reelection next year.

The election, boycotted by all the major opposition parties, showed a low turnout rate of 25 percent, according to the National Electoral Council.

President of the Election Council Jorge Rodriguez explained that the low turnout was due to "torrential rains that prevented voters from getting to polling stations."

He also assured the public of the legitimacy and transparency of the vote, saying, "The voting went ahead with absolute normality...Venezuelans have expressed their opinion today as established by the constitution."

Hundreds of election monitors from the European Union and the Organization of American States declared the vote legitimate.

But the opposition group said there were plenty of irregularities and that they had received "complaints from all parts of the country."

There were reported cases of violence ahead of the election, including an oil pipeline fire and two small explosions that wounded three people.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Jesse Chacon suggested that some in the opposition were linked to these incidents, saying, "That's how those who are withdrawing play the game."

Pro-Chavez lawmakers now hold 86 seats in the National Assembly and the rest are held by the four parties that boycotted the elections.

Source: Xinhua