CARACAS-- Venezuela's opposition coalition held primaries on Sunday for this year's high-stakes parliamentary election, its best shot in over a decade at recouping the National Assembly at one of the ruling Socialist Party's lowest ebbs.
With Venezuela in recession, annual inflation possibly heading to triple digits, basic goods from milk to medicines running short, and crime rates sky-high, government candidates may face a backlash.
But the perpetually fragmented MUD umbrella coalition has struggled to articulate policy proposals and shake an elitist aura, so Sunday's low-profile primaries are largely a show of mobilization against President Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela has become "a crazy country," said physiotherapist and opposition supporter Roxany Rodriguez, 23, after spending an hour in line and around 8 percent of her monthly wage on a dozen basics at a pharmacy.
But Rodriguez, who only learned of the primaries on Friday,is not inspired by opposition candidates. "They should be offering something new. I'm very disheartened," she said, though she was still going to vote.
In addition to convincing voters like Rodriguez, the coalition must lure disillusioned supporters of the late Hugo Chavez, face a formidable state propaganda machine, and overcome electoral district geography seen helping the socialists.
Fueling opposition suspicion of an unfair playing field, no date has been set for the parliament election, though it will be in the last quarter.
REUTERS
