Posted on 12/03/2006 10:47:56 AM PST by george76
Six years after declaring the Venezuelan election process "flawed," former President Jimmy Carter's Carter Center will monitor only one aspect of the country's Dec. 3 elections, despite claims of abuses during the campaign designed to favor the incumbent, left-wing populist President Hugo Chavez.
The center announced Nov. 20 that it would organize a "specialized, limited technical mission" to "observe the use of the automated voting technology."
The effort is in collaboration with Carter's group and the Venezuelan National Electoral Council, a body which Chavez critics say is controlled by the president.
The group will also not monitor the election broadly for inconsistencies, disenfranchisement or fraud and will not produce a comprehensive report evaluating the election...
The Carter Center and other organizations have previously expressed serious concerns about Venezuela's ability to meet basic standards of integrity in holding elections.
After the 2000 elections that saw Chavez reelected with 60 percent of the vote, the Carter Center declared the system "flawed." ...
In March 2005 testimony before Congress, NDI President Kenneth Wollack said that "fundamental rights and democratic institutions in Venezuela are being undermined. In this respect, efforts to exert governmental control over key institutions such as the media, military, judiciary, and electoral authorities is deeply troubling."
Wollack raised questions about the independence of election authorities in several countries, including Venezuela, and said the international community "must be engaged in these countries to help ensure that all aspects of the electoral process, including the election law, election authorities, voter registry, media access and campaign spending meet international standards."
This year, critics of Chavez say he has abused access to television - the president has a weekly, six-hour program - while election candidates' airtime is severely limited.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
Lol.
LOL
Send Jimmy Carter down there and keep Jim Beam.
Someone please tell me....
Who in the Hell designated this failed POS as a "certifier" of fair elections?
Who is insane enough to trust this angry, self important and leftist dictator loving sonuvabitch with anything of importance?
Some folks live will beyond their usefulness..or worthiness.
Semper Fi
Ol'Jimmy is on C-Span right now sniveling about apartheid and the poor Palestinians. What a miscreant he is.
"Who in the Hell designated this failed POS as a "certifier" of fair elections?"
The key is >>>" self important "
Therein lies the answer to your question
Billy Carter had some dealings with Omar Khaddafi in Libya.
Bob Hope had a line that "the main difference between Jimmy Carter and his brother was that Billy had a foreign policy."
The Carter Center has no more right to monitor any foreign election as my cat does. Their montitoring are staged events blessed by the people in power in whatever country Carter is "monitoring".
The day after Jimmy Carter drops dead he will be mno more smarter than he is right now while breathing.
As I have been saying here for years, many of these NGO's and so-called nonprofits are nothing more but tools to enrich their handlers or push a particular political agenda or to just outright destroy some legitimate tax-paying business. There are now over a million nonprofits in America, many of these groups are no way near charities and should be made ot run like any other business.
To me, anyways.
Well, if he's busy in Venezuela at least he won't be sticking his nose in US foreign policy. Foreign (socialist dictator) elections and Habitat for Humanity seem to be the two things he does best.
Cindie
River Rat, that's an easy one. Why it was your friends and neighbors who continue to vote for the Democratic Party and their cheerleaders in the Mainstream Media who have decided that Jimmah' is the beacon for truth and justice.
Having lived under this fool as both a governor and POTUS, I must agree with your assessment. The man is not only our first Anti-American President, but he is also one mean spirited bastard as well. His adherence to Christian kindness is about as firm as Bill Clinton's devotion to poverty.
I'm surprised by your question. I kind of expected a more difficult one from a Marine. :-)
He isnt a certifier of fair elections. He sent a limited mission to observe the elections. In other words he sent a cheerleading squad for Uncle Hugo.
The Carter Center can safely be ignored.
Carter was the most stupid President in history, but since then he has gotten senile.
The igNobel Piece of -- Prize Committee?
yitbos
Jimmah needs only to send just enough staff to pen the final "fair and free election" report. No need to actually monitor his buddy, Hugo's, whopping re-election mandate.
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