Open letter to José Albino Silva Peneda
By Aleksander Boyd | Director of Pro Venezuela Organization
Dear Mr. Silva Peneda,
Further to the press conference held in Caracas yesterday, in which you made declarations regarding elections to Assemblymen in Venezuela this past Sunday, and building upon a conversation held a few days ago with Mr. David Bruck with the European Commission in Brussels, in which Mr. Bruck admitted that European observers had witnessed the audit conducted in Fila de Mariches in Caracas, where Mr. Leopoldo Gonzalez demonstrated, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that voting was not secret by calling out the choices made by each of the participants, I consider pertinent to ask this question:
You made use of the word "remote" to refer to the possibility of revealing the secrecy of votes. However, borrowing from Mr. Bruck, the display put up by Mr. Gonzalez had nothing remote about it, what is more Mr. Gonzalez announced in clear voice who had voted for whom. Why was this fact not mentioned in the preliminary report?
For when arguing about the huge apprehension that exists towards the CNE on behalf of political parties, the electorate and representatives of civil society, evidenced by the lowest voter turnout that Venezuela has seen in many years, failure to mention key aspects of the process translates into future mistrust vis-a-vis European observation missions, its conclusions and reputation.
I should be most grateful if you could expand into the reasons that prompted the delegation headed by you to obviate this, most crucial, element.
Cordially,
Aleksander Boyd
London 07.12.05
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