MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pro-Chavez landslide forecasted municipal elections

A hundred thousand troops will be deployed over the weekend in Venezuela to guarantee security during municipal elections announced military authorities in Caracas.

Next Sunday over 14 million Venezuelans will be choosing among 35,000 candidates to fill some 6,000 seats on city councils and community boards. Pro government parties and groups are expected to win by a landslide.

Armed Forces Joint Services commander General Ali Uzcategui made the announcement following a meeting with the electoral commission, CEN.

"We have been instructed to follow CEN orders ensuring Sunday's electoral process", said the General adding that troops will not only guard polling places but also guarantee the "safeguard and transfer" of ballots and other electoral equipment.

CEN chairman Jorge Rodriguez anticipated that the military support will ensure elections are held "in absolute peace and security".

The meeting was also attended by opposition parties with congressional representation, although groups who are calling for a boycott of the voting, whom the government calls "coup-mongers" did not show up.

Pro President Hugo Chavez organizations will present a single, unified list of candidates, but the opposition is fragmented since its leaders could not agree on fielding joint candidates.

Spokesmen for the ruling coalition parties anticipated that divisions in the opposition will enable candidates who support President Hugo Chavez to win 75% of the posts in dispute, which is consistent with the latest surveys.

CEN officials forecasted a low turnout but better than the 24% of December 2000, when the last municipal elections.

Sunday will be the first time Venezuelans go to the polls since October 2004, when pro-government parties obtained 80% of the country's 335 municipalities as well as control of 20 of Venezuela's 22 provincial governments.