Democracy is alive and well in Venezuela. How is it doing in Pakistan?

by Daniel Bonham

Headline from Reuters; Mon Dec 3, 2007 4:03 pm EST: "Chavez vote defeat tests his Venezuela Revolution."

What a stunning development, and a good one.  Rest assured friends that social reform is not dead in Venezuela…  “El Processo” is alive and well, for the same reason that President Hugo Chavez's referenda were rejected: it is a Movement of the People, not one man.   What is dead, is any justification for bellicose anti-Chavez rhetoric from current and former members of the Bush administration; comparison of Chavez to fascist historical figures in the mainstream media, and the spectre of US intervention, at least for now.

And what an instructive juxtaposition of events… on the same day that Hugo Chavez accepted the will of the Venezuelan majority, Pervez Musharraf - that champion of liberty and anti-terrorism according to the Bush administration - was able to declare himself President until at least 2012 (with no future term limits) under Emergency Rule through the oppression of free speech, the suspension of free press, dissolving the Supreme Court and the jailing of thousands of Pakistani citizens.  President Bush naturally congratulated the erstwhile successful coup leader for his commitment to Democracy. Can you imagine the statement from the White House had this been done by the current President of Venezuela, Nicaragua or Bolivia?

 Meanwhile Hugo Chavez - that totalitarian dictator according to the Bush administration - that tyrant according to Donald Rumsfeld - that fascist Mussolini wannabe according to newspaper pundits - humbly accepts the will of the people in a tight vote against his proposal for greater presidential powers - some of which are powers the current US President has, and powers Pervez Musharraf did not have but abused anyway.  The people of Venezuela said to their President what the crony-appointed Pakistani Supreme Court cannot say to their's: that he should leave by 2012.  So where is the congratulatory call Mr. Bush?  Who is the true champion of liberty?

And should you doubt that Hugo Chavez is both humble and accepting of the will of the people, this came from the first hand account from friends who live in Caracas and were there that night:

“The image that appeared on the massive video screens in front of the Presidential Palace immediately after the results were read was that of an unusually somber faced Chavez. What followed may have been even more unexpected for those in the opposition and weary of Chavez's unrelenting bravado. In contrast to the lack of diplomacy that many now associate him with, Chavez went on to gracefully concede the election and congratulated his adversaries.  This was especially significant considering the closeness of the margin, with 4,504,354 votes against, (50.70%) and 4,379,392, (49.29%) for the YES. Chavez went on to say that he was happy to see the election end peacefully.”

Democracy is alive and well in Venezuela.  How is it doing in Pakistan?