Foreign Digest: Venezuela, Italy, Iraq

Venezuelan Presidential Election

            The Acting President of Venezuala was declared the winner of the presidential election.  The Chavist successor of late dictator Hugo Chavez was credited with a slight majority in the official count, which was controlled by the regime – without foreign observers.  The state also controlled nearly all of the media during the campaign while it handed out largesse to the impoverished electorate.  The declaration of victory by the Chavists was thus not surprising.  However, the regime has promised a review of the election.  There have been violent street protests.  The opposition has appealed for calm, to which the people have responded by refraining from violence.

Italian Presidential Appointment

           

            The Italian parliament and the grand electors chose to break with tradition and re-elect President Giorgio Napolitano for another seven-year term.  No president has served more than one term since the formation of the Italian Republic in 1946.  The president is a unitive figure, but several rounds of balloting for a new president this week had instead bitterly divided the parties.  The ex-Communist Napolitano, who had reiterated his intention to serve only one term, is respected by all parties as fair-minded and a patriot who does what is in the best national interest.  The choice was hailed by the major parties on all sides.  The octogenarian’s re-election is the key to ending the current parliamentary deadlock, as his assent is required to form a new coalition or minority government or he to call another round of elections for parliament.

Iraqi Provincial Elections

            Iraq held provincial elections today.  They were the first elections since the withdrawal of American forces.  There was some violence by Islamists, but it did not deter the Iraqi people from voting.