Everything about Venezuelan Presidential Election 1998 totally explained
In the
December 6, 1998 Venezuelan presidential election,
Hugo Chávez was elected to his first term as
President of Venezuela with the largest percentage of the popular vote (56.2%) in four decades. He had run on an anti-
corruption and anti-
poverty platform, condemning the two major parties that had dominated Venezuelan politics since
1958.
Chávez's electoral platform
The Chávez platform comprised three basic pledges. First, Chávez promised that he'd begin his presidency by abolishing Venezuela's old political system,
puntofijismo, and opening up political power to independent and third parties. Second, Chávez promised to end corruption. Third, Chávez promised to eradicate poverty in Venezuela.
Chávez condemned the traditional two-party system that had dominated
Venezuelan politics from 1958 up until the catastrophic riots and turmoil of
1992–
1993. Until then, democratic transfers of power always occurred between the social democratic
Acción Democrática and the Christian democratic
Comité de Organización Política Electoral Independente (COPEI), which together had garnered more than 90% of the votes in all elections held since 1973. Owing to his leftist agenda, the Chávez candidacy began a remarkable ascent. Chávez registered 30% in polls taken in May 1998; by August he was registering 39%.
Chávez's campaign
After a two-year imprisonment, Chávez was pardoned by
President Rafael Caldera in 1994. Upon his release, Chávez immediately reconstituted the MBR-200 as the
Fifth Republic Movement (MVR—
Movimiento Quinta República, with the
V representing the
Roman numeral five). Later, in 1998, Chávez began to campaign for the presidency. In working to gain the trust of voters, Chávez drafted an agenda that drew heavily on his interpretation of Bolivarianism. Chávez thus campaigned on an anti-
corruption and anti-
poverty platform, while pledging to dismantle
puntofijismo, the traditional two-party
patronage system.
Chávez utilized his
charisma and flamboyant public speaking style—noted for its abundance of
colloquialisms and
ribald manner—on the campaign trail to win the trust and favor of a primarily poor and
working class following. By May 1998, Chávez's support had risen to 30% in polls, and by August he was registering 39%. Chávez went on to win the
Carter Center-endorsed
1998 presidential election on
December 6,
1998 with 56.2% of the vote.
Results
Chávez won the
Carter Center-endorsed election on
December 6,
1998 with 56.2% of the vote.
Participation was 63.76% (6,988,291 out of 10,959,530 registered voters)
Further Information
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