Venezuelan Electoral Authorities Give Green Light to Mayoral Appeals in Lara, Monagas

The National Electoral Council has formally accepted appeals challenging the results of mayoral elections in two municipalities. 

Venezuelan authorities have accepted two appeals by leftist parties in relation to irregularities during December 2017’s mayoral elections
Venezuelan authorities have accepted two appeals by leftist parties in relation to irregularities during December 2017’s mayoral elections

Merseyside, United Kingdom, January 31, 2018 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan electoral authorities have formally accepted appeals challenging the results of December 2017’s mayoral elections in two municipalities in Lara and Monagas states. 

Last Thursday, El Maizal commune in Lara confirmed on Twitter that the National Electoral Council would review the case of Angel Prado – one of its foremost leaders – after an appeal was submitted by citizens Rafael Antonio Uzcategui and Ilenia Rosa Carrasco on behalf of the Homeland for All party (PPT). 

Prado’s mayoral candidacy for the municipality of Simon Planas was controversially blocked last November for undisclosed reasons by Venezuela’s National Constituent Assembly (ANC), to which he was elected as a delegate five months before. Nonetheless, Prado refused to withdraw his candidacy and though his name did not appear on the ballot, his PPT ticket received over 57% of the local vote. 

Despite gaining almost twice as many votes as rival United Socialist Party candidate Jean Ortiz, the CNE declared Ortiz mayor citing the ANC’s veto on Prado. 

Both the PPT and El Maizal have celebrated the CNE’s acceptance of the appeal on their respective social media accounts, while El Maizal vowed to “keep struggling” until “justice is done” and Prado is proclaimed mayor.

“Nobody is surrendering here!” they tweeted. 

El Maizal have also pursued an appeal against the ANC’s ruling with the Supreme Court, though they have yet to receive an official response.

Elsewhere in Monagas state, an appeal filed last week by the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) was also successfully admitted by electoral authorities.

PCV candidate Regulo Reyna was denied the mayorship in the Libertador municipality in the northeastern state after the CNE erroneously declared Miguel Presilla as mayor. Though Presilla is also a member of the PCV and was the party’s initial candidate for the municipality, he was officially substituted for Reyna prior to elections.

“We have asked for clarification, explaining to them [the CNE] the error which they made,” said Carlos Aquino, a leader in the Communist Party’s political bureau. 

“62% of that municipality voted for the PCV, they voted for Reyna,” he added.

It is unclear why the CNE declared Presilla mayor, despite having accepted Reyna’s substitution prior to mayoral elections.