Venezuelan state-run media demean opposition primaries

 
Venezuela's National Public Media System, comprising all of the state-run media, reported "poor voters' turnout" in the primaries of the opposition umbrella group Unified Democratic Panel (MUD), and described the opposition leaders as "right-wing" candidates.

The website of the television network of Venezuelan National Assembly (ANTV) chose to ignore the vote where the candidate that will challenge President Hugo Chávez on October 7 will be elected. Other official websites reported on the parade President Chávez headed on Sunday in Aragua state, central Venezuela, to commemorate the Youth Day.

State-run news agency AVN published information about the opposition primaries on Sunday morning, and highlighted violations of election rules that prohibit political campaign during the vote.

"After negotiating a date where (political) Acción Democrática (AD party) imposed its will, Venezuelan rightist sectors will hold primary election on Monday," reported AVN. "Privatization and dismantling of the communal state will be the purpose of the winner in the primaries," read another headline. "Opposition primaries with no ink, no fingerprint reading machines and, it seems that with no voters," added another one.

A video clip posted on the website of state-run TV cannel VTV noted: "Beaches packed with people; visitors would not vote in primaries."