The two of Chavismo, Diosdado Cabello, questioned the electionso rganized by the dissent in a particular way The number two of Chavismo, Diosdado Cabello, once again questioned the realization of the opposition primaries.
The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) warned on Monday that it sees it “impossible” for the opposition to hold the primaries on October 22, in which it will define its candidate for the 2024 presidential elections, “without the support” of the National Electoral Council (CNE), which decided on Friday to “provide technical service” to the anti-Chavist inmates.
It is impossible that they can do a primary as they have announced it without the support of the CNE, that is impossible,” said the first vice president of the Chavista formation, Diosdado Cabello, during a press conference, broadcast on the state channel VTV. The parliamentarian also hopes that the meeting that took place this Monday between the electoral body and the opposition National Primary Commission (CNP), in charge of organizing the internal ones, “can serve to help each other.
What is clear is that, if they were ready, prepared, for the 22nd (October), why are they going to go to the CNE? What are they going to go for if they are ready? Some support requires (…), and that’s what the institutions are for. We, when we are going to make a choice, we ask for support from the CNE, we go to the CNE, we are not afraid ofthat,” Cabello said.The CNP requested the support of the CNE last June, when they had just begun to outline the process, which has experienced progress since then, even without the assistance of the electoral body, which, three days ago, offered its technical help.
A mixedcommission
The president of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso, announced on Monday the installation of a joint commission with representatives of the opposition to discuss, starting on Tuesday, the technical assistance that the institution will provide to the primaries, and it is still clear how they will support this process.
For hispart, the president of the CNP, Jesús María Casal, said that they will attend the meeting to “have an exchange in relation to the progress of the opposition process,” scheduled for within 27 days, and on “the support that the CNE can provide,” although he did not confirm whether, finally, they will have assistance or continue with the organization independently. According to Casal, the intention of the anti-Chavism in June was to “verify the conditions under which technical assistance could be requested,” but, in view of the surprise resignation of the electoral rectors, the CNP decided that it would organize the inmates in a self-managed manner.
In this context, former Venezuelan governor Andrés Velásquez assured on Monday that the internal opposition elections, in which he will participate as a candidate, will be held without delay on October 22, despite the fact that, in his opinion, the dictator Nicolás Maduro and the National Electoral Council hold a “play” in order to “torpedo the primary.”
On October 22, rain, thunder or flash, our primary school is going,” the opponent remarked through X (formerly Twitter), minutes after the meeting between the CNE and the CNP. In Velásquez’sopinion, theCNE’soffer is a “laboratory game” of Maduro and “his allies” in the electoral body “to torpedo the primary.”After the late response of the CNE, the CNP opened a consultation process with the 13 candidates for the primaries to evaluate the possibility of accepting or not accepting the assistance of the electoral body, without so far announcing a decision in this regard.
The opposition party Voluntad Popular said last Saturday that the CNE tries to “sabotage” the primaries with its “offer” of technical assistance, while the candidate for the primaries Andrés Caleca supported the internal ones “with or without” assistance from the entity. A definitive date has not yet been set for next year’s presidential elections. The Maduro regime, the Venezuelan opposition and the United States are trying to move towards an agreement on how to ensure a free and fair process, after the president’s re-election in 2018 was described as a farce by some Western nations.
In recent months, the Chavista dictatorship imposed bans on some opposition candidates to hold public office, including the favorite in the polls to win the primary, María Corina Machado, in a decision that has been criticized by Washington.
