Oaxaca Roundtable Discussion

The Washington Office on Latin Americais pleased to invite you to a seminar 

Free and Fair Enough?

Venezuela’s Electoral Institutions and the Campaign for the Presidency 

featuring Pedro Nikken of Ojo Electoral 

Friday, November 3, 200610:30am to 12:00 pm

The Root RoomCarnegie Endowment for International Peace1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20036 In Venezuela’s December 2005 legislative elections, the major opposition parties called for a last-minute boycott, as a result conceding the entire National Assembly to President Hugo Chávez’s Movimiento Quinta República and allied parties.  The boycott contributed to low voter turnout, but as a bid to undermine the legitimacy of the vote, it backfired.  José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, noted that the opposition had “assured us that they would not withdraw from the process if certain conditions were met.  These were met, and despite this, [the opposition parties] withdrew.”  Insulza added that “if the path of abstention is chosen, then one cannot complain that the entire parliament is in the hands of one’s political adversary.” Venezuelans will go to the polls again on December 3^rd to elect a president, with the incumbent Chávez facing challenger Manuel Rosales, governor of oil-rich Zulia state.  Most public opinion surveys show that Chávez enjoys a commanding lead over Rosales entering the final month of the campaign.  As in previous contests, the fairness and transparency of the electoral rules and institutions have been called into question by the opposition, and some sectors continue to favor abstention.   What are the major controversies?  How are they being handled?  Will the presidential elections be free and fair enough to validly express the will of the voters?  Please join us for a timely discussion of these important questions with Pedro Nikken of Ojo Electoral.  Pedro Nikken is one of five directors of Ojo Electoral, an explicitly pluralist civil society association seeking to promote citizen participation and transparent elections worthy of public confidence in Venezuela.  In an effort to seek points of consensus in a sharply polarized atmosphere, Ojo Electoral encompasses individuals with divergent political views and histories, including Mr. Nikken, frequently a critic of President Chávez’s government.  Mr. Nikken will speak on behalf of Ojo Electoral in his Washington seminar, where he will discuss the general political situation in Venezuela, the aims and activities of Ojo Electoral, and the electoral “rules of the game” during the current presidential campaign. In addition to his role with Ojo Electoral, Mr. Nikken serves on the general assembly of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights and as a commissioner with the International Commission of Jurists.  He has also served as Dean of the law school at the Universidad Central de Venezuela; as judge and President of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; as legal advisor to the UN Secretary General during peace negotiations in El Salvador; and as the UN special envoy to Burundi. Mr. Nikken’s remarks will be in Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation into English. Please RSVP by November 1 to Jessica Eby jeby@wola.org or call (202) 797-2171.

 SAVE THE DATE Venezuelans will cast their ballots for president on Sunday, December 3. Please mark your calendars for a discussionof the Venezuelan election results hosted by the  Washington Office on Latin Americaon December 8(Exact time and location to be announced) featuring Margarita López MayaProfessor of Political ScienceUniversidad Central de Venezuela(invited) and  Ana María SanjuánDirector, Center for Peace and Human RightsUniversidad Central de Venezuela