“The electoral guarantees to promote transparent, trustworthy, verifiable mega elections are going to be expanded,” announced President Nicolás Maduro regarding the results of negotiations between the Venezuelan Government and opposition sectors.
“All the guarantees are going to be expanded on the basis of the political negotiation that is taking place with all the factors of opposition. From there, there is going to be a good result,” he affirmed in an interview with U.S. news agency Bloomberg.
The Venezuelan president explained “there is an intense, diverse negotiation” with the democratic opposition on the expansion of electoral guarantees, and said dialogue “is going pretty well” and there will be good news very soon, “new guarantees for the mega elections of November 21st.”
In this regard, President Maduro said the expansion of electoral guarantees responds to “a political conviction that we have. And we do it because the country is fit for negotiating, to achieve agreements,” not because the White House demands it.
“We don’t do this because the government of the United States asks for it. We do it because it’s a constitutional obligation. Because it’s a political conviction,” stressed Maduro, who also pointed out that the appointment of a new Board of Directors of the National Electoral Council is the result of “a good political negotiation, with all the factors of the opposition, except for the extremist sectors.”
Regarding international observers, he said that the Electoral Power sent formal invitations to the African Union (AU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Union (EU), and important organizations of political thought and electoral specialists.
“It was the product of political negotiations. The Electoral Power has already sent diverse invitations to the world. Everyone who wants to come, will be welcomed,” he stressed.
In the forthcoming mega elections, the Venezuelan people will elect governors and mayors, as well as representatives of municipal and legislative councils.