The topic of Venezuelan immigrants in T&T has been infamously infectious on all local media and social media platforms. However, while ‘Trinis’ banter, Venezuela’s legislative elections will be held on December 6th, a controversial day in the midst of a pandemic that has not been recognized by the opposition and which is branded a farce by the Organization of American States and the European Union.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela reported that everything is ready for the legislative elections on December 6th and called on citizens to vote on the day. “So ladies and gentlemen, Venezuelans, we want to tell you that everything is ready. Only you are missing, with your vote, with your decision, so that on December 6 we elect the parliamentarians of the National Assembly “, said the president of the CNE, Indira Alfonzo, before the press.
Alfonzo also reiterated that on the day of the vote they will have all the protection measures against covid-19. In the elections next Sunday, 20,710,421 Venezuelans are called to vote and, according to analyst estimates, abstention predominates in the political landscape.
What do Venezuelans choose?
What is at stake this Sunday is the renewal of the members of the National Assembly, whose majorities are today in the hands of the opposition. Those elected this December 6th will serve the period 2021-2026. Until this year, Parliament had 167 deputies, but Nicolás Maduro, according to the opposition, in an attempt to wrest control from the opposition increased the number of deputies to 277, an increase of 66% of parliamentarians.
Before Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999 and extinguished both Houses, the Congress and the Senate numbered 260 legislators in total.
Nicolás Maduro’s regime has given another blow to democracy, violating article 186 of the Constitution that speaks of a population base of 1.1% and resolves 167 deputies for the national territory that has a population close to 32 million inhabitants , explain analysts.
Who can participate?
The National Electoral Council (CNE) confirmed that 86 political parties will participate in the elections and that the new formula for electing positions will be 52% through proportional representation (list) and 48% by personalized vote (nominal). Before the announcement, the voting system was 70% nominal and 30% list, an unbalanced model, because according to the CNE, “a party won more seats than it was entitled to when it managed to win by one vote.”
However, 27 opposition parties, among those disqualified and refusing to participate in the elections, signed a letter denouncing “the electoral farce.” Primero Justicia, of which Henrique Capriles is part; Voluntad Popular, led by Leopoldo López; as well as the social democrats Acción Democrática and Un Nuevo Tiempo refused to participate this Sunday.
Part of what the opposition denounced is that “for the parliamentary electoral process of 2015, the democratic unit consolidated its victory with the use of the UNIT card. The use of this card was hijacked by the regime, preventing its use due to precautionary measures, and the directors who represent the UNIT as an organization are still subject to criminal judicial proceedings.
According to Maduro, there are 14,400 candidates who signed up. However, with the COVID-19 crisis, the economic and social crisis, it is also suggested that the vote this Sunday will be very low.
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