CNE Postpones Regional Elections in Venezuela
The electoral monitoring body said that regional elections will be held next year instead of in December.
Caracas, October 18, 2016 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) announced Tuesday that regional elections expected for the end of this year will be delayed until 2017.
In a televised address on state channel VTV, CNE President Tibisay Lucena explained that elections for state governor positions will take place towards April next year, while municipal elections to choose mayors and municipal councillors will now be held around August.
Lucena did not give an explanation for the rescheduling, but indicated that the date of the elections had been a source of continuous debate within the CNE for some time. She confirmed that a conclusive decision on the timeline had finally been reached earlier on in the day.
“This was the fourth or fifth time that we worked on this very issue in order to be able to guarantee that all necessary matters were carried out,” she said.
The ruling Chavista government won significant regional and municipal majorities in 2012 and 2013, but is predicted to suffer losses at the upcoming elections, mostly due to a prolonged economic crisis that has taken a significant toll on its popularity.