Venezuela: Most Opposition Parties to Accept Support from CNE for Primaries

Although most opposition parties support receiving technical assistance from the National Electoral Council (CNE), there are several parties that refuse to allow the electoral institution to participate. The parties that rejected technical assistance are Vente Venezuela [Come Venezuela], led by María Corina Machado; Citizen Meeting, of Delsa Solórzano; La Causa R, led by Andrés Velásquez; and Project Venezuela. It remains to be seen if they will maintain their unitary position or launch their candidacy outside the Unitary Platform opposition coalition.

This Monday, June 5, the president of the National Primary Commission (CNP), Jesús María Casal, confirmed that the CNP will work with the assistance of the CNE for the internal elections of the opposition Democratic Unitary Platform to choose their candidate to face the Chavistas in the 2024 presidential elections. The CNP had requested a few month ago the use of CNE voting machines, but without fingerprint scanners, to “protect the identity of the voters,” a request that was denied by the CNE.

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During a radio interview, Casal said that the protection of voter identity has been one of the issues that has been worked on the most throughout the process. Various opposition figures have questioned the reliability of the CNE due to the use of fingerprint scanners.

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“The fingerprint scanners will only be used to prevent identity theft, not to raise lists,” said Casal, answering to one of the main criticisms of those who promote manual methods as a “safe” choice.

Opposition activists living abroad even called for the creation of a CNE in exile “to guarantee authentic elections,” arguing that the CNP cannot submit to the rules of the Venezuelan electoral authority.

(Misión Verdad)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/KW/SL