The National Electoral Council in Venezuela has declared December 6th, for the country’s National Assembly elections after a prolonged delay in setting a date.
After months of delay, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) has announced that the country’s legislative elections will be held in the month of December for 165 seats. CNE President Tibisay Lucena added that “the campaign for election would start from November 13th to 3rd of December under the observation of a commission led by the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)”. There has been mounting pressure from local opposition groups and international observers to call for the election date. Even opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who is in jail, has been on hunger strike for 30 days for the above cause. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) of President Nicolas Maduro is the ruling party at present with a majority of seats. But the party has suffered a great dip in ratings owing to rampant crime, the drop in oil revenues and shortages of basic goods. The recent polls suggested that the opposition coalition has a great chance of success if elections are held at the earliest.
But the council’s head, Tibisay Lucena, has denied the rumors of bowing to opposition demands.
