Venezuela Elections Postponed to May 20th

 

HAVANA TIMES – Venezuela’s early presidential elections have been postponed for almost a month and will now be held on May 20th, said the National Electoral Council (CNE) in Caracas on Thursday, reported dpa.

The decision was announced just hours before the official deadline for the registration of candidates for the presidency ended, now extended until March 10.

Maduro considers himself a sure thing for reelection through 2025, after barring the main opposition candidates from running and then disqualifying the main opposition coalition. However, there will be several lesser known candidates on the ballot.

The president of the CNE, Tibisay Lucena, confirmed the new date for the presidential elections makes it possible to also hold regional and municipal councils elections.

“It is proposed that the elections for president of the republic, state legislative councils and municipal councils be held simultaneously in the second half of May 2018,” said Lucena.

The new date was requested by the all-powerful Constituent Assembly, which is totally dominated by Maduro’s United Socialist Party.