Door with a CNE logo and people working in the background. File photo.
This Monday, October 18, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), through its Twitter account, issued a statement consisting of several posts in a lengthy thread, confirming that the impasse generated by Joseph Borrell’s comments regarding the upcoming elections of November 21 has been overcome.
After a telephone conversation between the president of the electoral body, Pedro Calzadilla, and the head of the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission (EOM), Isabel Santos, the impasse resulting from statements made by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Joseph Borrell, can be considered as over.
Santos reaffirmed the EOM’s commitment to follow the rules agreed upon by both parties for the deployment of the aforementioned mission in Venezuela.
Tras conversación telefónica sostenida entre el presidente del Poder Electoral, Pedro Calzadilla, y la Jefa de la MOE-UE, Isabel Santos, se da por superado el impasse, a raíz de las declaraciones del AR para Asuntos Exteriores y Política de Seguridad de la UE, Joseph Borrell. pic.twitter.com/zAIm4kGK0Z
— cneesvenezuela (@cneesvzla) October 18, 2021
Via her Twitter account, @isabel_mep , she posted: “Let no one have any doubt that we will fulfill our commitment to observe the electoral process with impartiality, objectivity, independence, and non-interference, honoring the administrative agreement signed with the Venezuelan CNE and our code of conduct.”
In the same way, Santos reported that on October 28, from Caracas, at the beginning of the regional and local election campaign, she will lead the EU mission of 46 electoral observers deployed throughout Venezuela.
Que nadie tenga duda de que cumpliremos nuestro compromiso de observar el proceso electoral con imparcialidad, objetividad, independencia y no injerencia, honrando el acuerdo administrativo firmado con el Consejo Nacional Electoral de Venezuela y nuestro código de conducta.
— Isabel Santos MEP (@isabel_mep) October 18, 2021
She also indicated that 10 members of the Observation Mission are already in Venezuela, and that on the day of the elections the EU delegation will reach 100 members.
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On September 29, the CNE and the EU signed the administrative agreement on the Electoral Observation Mission for the 2021 Regional and Municipal Elections, with the aim of regulating the relations and responsibilities between both parties, in view of the aforementioned electoral event.
Later, Borrell expressed in statements to the media that the EU’s EOM had the objective of supporting the opposition in the election, and that the legitimacy of the next elections would be determined by the EU report.
The interventionist comments produced the impasse throughout various levels of the Venezuelan state, particularly with CNE authorities, who demanded a public rectification, reminding the international body of the terms of the previously signed agreement. The agreement involves mandatory impartial conduct, and adherence to principles of non-interference, respect for sovereignty, and national self-determination.
This decision corresponds to the CNE’s commitment to foster understanding among political actors, within the framework of the dialogue processes initiated in Mexico (Mexico Talks), aimed at strengthening political stability in Venezuela.
Hence the importance that the electoral body has placed upon encouraging a strong presence of foreign organizations and agencies in the upcoming elections, under the constitutional and legal principles that govern the Venezuelan legal system.
Featured image: Door with a CNE logo and people working in the background. File photo.
(RedRadioVE) by Victoria Torres, with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
