Venezuelan election system best in the world – President Maduro

Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro has proclaimed the Venezuelan election system to be the best in the world.

This proclamation was made during a global press conference, livestreamed in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) at the Venezuelan Embassy on Tuesday, October 17.

On Sunday, October 15, Venezuela held its Regional Elections, to elect the governors to run its 23 states. Eighteen of the elected governors are from the governing party, headed by President Maduro. Eleven million persons voted in last Sunday’s election.

The president dismissed allegations by the Opposition that there had been electoral fraud, particularly in relation to the closure of certain electoral centres.

“The process was very good, common vote; there were no incidences there in any electoral centre. All tables were installed 100 per cent and all the machines worked. Witnesses confirmed this. What the Opposition said yesterday that one million people didn’t vote, that is a lie. That is a lie….The electoral system here is very simple…We also had International observers,” Maduro said.

Venezuela’s Ambassador to SVG Yuri Pimentel said some electoral centres were changed for the Regional Elections because on July 30, during the elections for the National Constituent Assembly, there was violence in certain areas to prevent the centres from opening.

“…What the National Constituent Assembly said is all the centres where people were impeded to vote now, they wouldn’t be used in the next elections. If there’s violence here and you don’t let us vote here, then the centre from now on is closed.”

The Ambassador, however, said the closure of centres happened in less than one per cent of the 17,000 centres in Venezuela and the new centres were established less than one kilometre from where the centres were closed.

“But you still can vote and people voted. This is just ridiculous lies they say in order to explain their defeat,” the Ambassador added.

Maduro praised his countrymen for a peaceful election, vastly different from what had transpired on July 30, during the elections for the National Constituent Assembly.

The Ambassador explained Venezuela’s electoral process, which he said has 10 audits before the elections. He said the books, registers, machines are all audited and participating parties all have to agree with and sign to the results of the audits.

The system, which is unlocked by a voter’s fingerprint, has been described by Maduro the best electoral system in the world.

“This is the electoral system that we would defend,” the Ambassador said.

Maduro said now that new governors have been elected, he plans on devising a plan to tackle the country’s economic difficulties.

“We had a great victory. This victory is firstly both moral and spiritual, because we had won under the worse circumstances in Venezuela. With assaults to the gasoline system, the electric system, the gas system, the water system with attacks to ATMs…attacks to the price system…and you know what happened? Once again the heroic awareness of Venezuela, which started the independence of Venezuela, appeared again.

“We have great economic challenges. We have a list of activities. After this press conference, we are meeting with the new governors,” said Maduro.

Presidential elections are constitutionally due in 2018.(CB)