Elections were held throughout the country to elect local leadership. The ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) experienced large-scale and record-setting member participation in its internal elections held Sunday, as it set out to elect the nearly 4,000 heads of the local branches. One of the ways the PSUV differentiates itself from other parties is by facilitating the direct participation of its members in the election of leadership. “What we went to go vote for were not candidates or pre-candidates for Representatives or Governors or anything of the like, instead it was for leaders, the leaders of the party at various levels,” said Diosdado Cabello, the first vice-president of the party. "This process vindicates participation of the rank-and-file. It is evidence of the Revolutionary Government and our party PSUV, aimed at having grass-roots communities to lead the road to Bolivarian socialism," said newly-elected head Allison Bracho. Agustin Da Costa, PSUV youth leader elected as head of the Los Teques parish branch, said elections guarantee youth integration to political and territorial spaces in the country. "Thanks to commander Hugo Chavez and our President Nicolas Maduro, youth have greater inclusion in political spaces for political transformation. This is the first time we see direct elections of the rank-and-file, where we may express ourselves and move in communities to build socialism," Da Costa said. Source URL |
