A CNE logo on a glass window. Photo: Venezuela Analysis.
The vice president of the National Electoral Council of Venezuela (CNE), Carlos Quintero, reported this Monday, December 16, that thus far, 26,492 principal and substitute judges have been assigned and their information have been loaded into the system. This represents 93% of the justices of the peace elected in Sunday’s election.
Quintero explained that initially there was talk of 30,000 justices of the peace, comprising principals and substitutes, but due to the electoral dynamics, 28,486 positions will be filled. This is because in circuits that had between one and three candidates, one principal judge and one substitute were elected; in circuits that had up to five candidates, two principals and one substitute were elected; and in circuits that had six or more candidates, three principals and three substitutes were elected.
He said that as a result of this unprecedented democratic process, “we have built an electoral structure of 4,782 circuits made up of more than 43,000 communes, which will serve as a basis for future elections where the community will have tools for participation.”
Quintero also explained that last Sunday, the voting process continued until the early hours of the morning, as polls waited for every last voter to cast their vote.
Venezuela: Massive Popular Participation in Unprecedented Communal Justices of the Peace Election
For the CNE official, the people provided “an unprecedented example of participation that strengthens democracy and sends the message to the world that Venezuelans are determined to make use of the only mechanism provided by the Magna Carta to advance in their own process of transformation.”
In this way, he said, the CNE has fulfilled the last milestone of the democratic program: “We have deployed the automated system so that there are records with the winners of each of the circuits that were awarded with their respective voting records.”
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
