The nomination period for mayoral and councillor candidates in Venezuela’s municipal elections on 27th July concluded today, following a 72-hour extension granted by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The Electoral Authority extended the process after requests from numerous political organisations participating in the polls scheduled for late next month – the 33rd such elections in the past 26 years. In statements to local press, CNE Principal Rector Conrado Pérez announced that compliance with the schedule stood at 45.6 per cent of planned progress as of yesterday.
Upon finalising nominations from the Great Simón Bolívar Patriotic Pole (Gppsb) and opposition political parties, the supreme electoral body will summon contenders to select their respective positions on the ballot paper.
Nominations from the Gppsb had reached 90 per cent completion by yesterday for selecting 335 mayoral candidates and 2,471 principal councillors (with an equal number of substitutes), according to Diosdado Cabello, General Secretary of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
The political leader emphasised that the Great Patriotic Pole has candidates across all of Venezuela, with every constituent party represented – including in territories where the opposition forged alliances to overthrow Chavismo. «We are organising for a resounding victory and preparing to win everywhere,» he stated.
During his Monday evening programme Con Maduro +, the Bolivarian leader described the «nomination and evaluation process as an unequivocal success,» resulting in communities selecting 155,875 grassroots candidates (men and women). Nicolás Maduro noted a renewal of nearly 70 per cent in mayoral offices and called for transforming these into genuine instruments of communal power. «Mayoralties must obey the mandates of Popular Power,» he affirmed. The President indicated that the PSUV and its entire team are already campaigning for the 11th-24th July electoral period, remarking: «What we relish most is mobilising alongside the people.»
Maduro predicted the most significant victory in the history of Venezuelan mayoral elections on 27th July.
These municipal elections will see 21,524,126 voters called to the polls, including 227,281 registered overseas electors.
