Canada-based election group ranks Venezuela NUMBER ONE in electoral law fairness!

[Peace Patriot]

Venezuela Ranked Number One in Electoral Fairness by Foundation for Democratic Advancement

Merida, July 7th 2011 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – This week Venezuela’s Social Investigation Group XXI (GIS) released new comparative data on electoral fairness in the country compiled by the Canada-based Foundation for Democratic Advancement (FDA) which found Venezuela’s elections to be “exceptionally fair, and thereby highly democratic.”

After a thorough review of Venezuela’s electoral laws and regulations on political news coverage as it relates to elections, equality of campaign financing, equality of candidate and party influence, as well as equality of voter influence, the FDA gave (Venezuela) a score of 85% in overall “electoral fairness.” In comparison, the United States and Canada scored 30% and 26%, respectively.

(SNIP)

To measure electoral fairness in a wide range of countries, from Canada to Egypt, Venezuela to Finland, the FDA evaluates existing laws and regulations in these countries since said laws “provide the foundation for democracy, framework for the electoral system, and an indication of electoral fairness.”

The FDA does also recognize that “electoral laws and regulations may not necessarily correspond to the implementation of those laws and regulations or the public’s response to them” and that “a further study which tracks the actions of mainstream media and the enforcement or non-enforcement of electoral laws and regulation, for example, would provide a more reliable overall determination of electoral fairness.”

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/6336
http://foundationfordemocraticadvancement.blogspot.com/

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2011 FDA Electoral Fairness Audit of
Venezuela’s Federal Electoral System

Executive Summary: Venezuela received an exceptional overall score of 85 percent for
electoral fairness. This score means that Venezuela's constitutional and legislative basis
for democracy is exceptional, innovative, and progressive. The source of Venezuela's
highly democratic basis is its Constitution which puts significant emphasis on individual
rights and societal plurality, cooperation, and respect. These core values extend
consistently through Venezuela's electoral laws. Further, as a source of innovation and
fairness, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council has the power legally and financially
to ensure a fair diffusion of electoral propaganda, and thereby prevent wealthy citizens,
legal entities, candidates, and parties from dominating electoral discourse.

http://www.inexpressible.com/2011%20FDA%20Electoral%20Fairness%20Report%20on%20Venezuela.pdf

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This news adds to the picture of Venezuela's democracy as thriving and fair, coming as it does after other reports and polls in which Venezuelans themselves rank their own country as one of the best in the world on criteria of democracy and well-being, and a UN Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean report that Venezuela is now "THE most equal country in Latin America" on income distribution.

Also, early on in the Boliviarian Revolution story, I personally sought out information on Venezuela's election system and found out that the vote counting system is highly transparent--far, FAR more transparent than our own*--and that the Carter Center had helped to set up Venezuela's election system and they and all the major election monitoring groups were invited to crawl all over Venezuela during elections, and they all had certified Venezuela's elections as honest and aboveboard.

The reasons I looked into this were, 1) my concern about our own election system*, and 2) the corpo-fascist "talking point" about Chavez being a "dictator" had already begun, way back in the early 2000's just after Chavez had survived a U.S.-backed rightwing coup d'etat.

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*(Our system is now run largely by one, private, far rightwing corporation--ES&S, which bought out Diebold--using 'TRADE SECRET' programming code-code that the public is forbidden to review--with virtually no audit/recount controls. This is now the case in every state in the U.S. Half the states do NO AUDIT AT ALL (comparison of paper ballot to electronic results) and the other half do only a miserably inadequate 1% audit. By contrast, Venezuela also has an electronic system, but it is OPEN SOURCE code--anyone may review the code by which the votes are tabulated--and they do an whopping 55% audit, more than five times the amount recommended by election experts whom I respect.)

[Judi Lynn]

1. Thoroughly engrossing appraisal of the Venezuelan electoral system. Bookmarking it immediately.

Will read it all later this evening.

This is a great find, Peace Patriot. Really looking forward to looking all the way through it. :woohoo:

Rec. #3.

[CJvR]

2. I wonder if...

...they are hired help, useful idiots or just plain idiots.

FDA Global Electoral Fairness Audit Results (current results)

Laws and regultions on the equality of political content of the media and broadcasters before, during, and after an election:
1. Russia 90%
1. Venezuela 90%
3. Lebanon 60%

Laws and regulations on the equality of candidate and political party influence before, during, and after an election:
1. Venezuela 90%
2. Lebanon 30%
2. Finland 30%
2. United States 30%

Laws and regulations on the equality of electoral (campaign) finance:
1. Venezuela 80%
2. Finland 33%

Laws and regulations on the equality of voter influence before, during, and after an election:
1. Venezuela 80%
2. Argentina 70%
2. Mexico 70%



Overall Electoral Fairness Audit Scores:

1. Venezuela 85% (A+)
2. Finland 40.75% (F)
3. Lebanon 37.5% (F)
4. Denmark 35% (F)
4. Russia 35% (F)
6. Argentina 32.5% (F)
7. United States 30% (F)
8. Canada 25.75% (F)

Yeah these half whits ranks democratic strongholds like Russia & Lebanon above Canada! How screwed up do your definition of democracy need to be to get that result?

[joshcryer]

3. Interesting find, they're clearly paid off.

[naaman fletcher]

4. I also noticed

There is no rating for "have opposition figures arrested but never get around to actually having trials".

[joshcryer]

5. Not even arrested, simply suspected or under investigation.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Excellent look at FDA "FDA Audit Field Reporting and Research Standards:"

In depth, rigorous audit standards:
http://democracychange.com/standards.html

[naaman fletcher]

7. Well, if they say so...

Did you expect them to question their own standards? Does any group put out standards and then later say "you know, we did a half-assed job in order to make a political point"?

Russia more democratic than Canada? LMFAO.

[CJvR]

8. Dont forget...

...Lebanon.

The questionable "nation" of private armies where goverment positions are rationed out by ethnic/religious origin - it is clearly far more democratic than Denmark!

And naturally the all time champion Venezuela where el Prez (a former coup leader) is now reigning by decree even after "winning" his rigged elections. You can't geet much more democratic than that!

[joshcryer]

9. Don't forget, using those decree powers to basically undermine elected officials.

Removing entire Governors from their position just by decree, can you imagine?