On 10 August the formal registration process began for political parties seeking to participate in Venezuela’s legislative elections on 6 December.
Analysis:
The majority of the country’s opposition parties will not be registering to participate in what they have described as an electoral farce, devoid of a level playing field, overseen by a national electoral council (CNE) firmly under the thumb of the de facto government led by Nicolás Maduro, and without international observers. But the Maduro government is trying to confer legitimacy on the elections by intervening in the main political parties and placing them under the control of internal dissidents prepared to take part in the elections. There were clashes outside the Caracas headquarters of one of these parties, Acción Democrática (AD), between rival supporters yesterday.
- A total of 27 opposition parties signed a statement on 2 August confirming plans to boycott the legislative elections on the grounds that they could not possibly be free and fair. The Maduro government, meanwhile, has used the supreme court (TSJ) to wrest control of three of the country’s four main political parties from hostile leaderships. They were replaced with pliant members of these parties who were expelled months earlier accused of having received bribes from the Maduro government.
- On 15 June the TSJ suspended the AD party leadership under Henry Ramos Allup, and appointed a new one led by Bernabé Gutiérrez. The TSJ ruled that the new party leadership was free to use the party’s symbols, logo, emblems, and colours as its own in a bid to give the impression that it was competing in the elections on its own volition.
- Supporters loyal to Ramos Allup descended on an AD party headquarters in western Caracas on 10 August after receiving reports that it had been taken over by armed 'colectivos', pro-government militias. They exchanged insults with groups supporting Gutiérrez, separated by a fence. At one stage a tear gas canister and firecrackers were set off.
Looking Ahead: The electoral registration process will last for 10 days, concluding on 19 August.