The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has invited the United Nations, European Union and International Observers from across the world to witness what it described as “credible and transparent electoral process” on Nov. 21.
Mr Yuri Pimentel, Venezuela’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs to Africa, disclosed this in a virtual video conference with African Partners and political parties, movements and Platforms of International Solidarity with Venezuela.
According to Pimentel, the Venezuelan government is inviting the high-level multilateral and international observers to have a first-hand experience of how credible its elections have always been against past false reports of electoral malpractices.
Pimentel said that since the Bolivarian revolution, the Venezuelan authority have ensured a complete democratic process which allows every eligible citizen and the opposition to participate in electoral processes.
“November 21, we will have a large delegation from across Africa, the United Nations, European Union, Jimmy Carter Foundation who are going to come to Venezuela to accompany us on these elections.
“Where, we are going to have to choose the next governors of the 23 states of our country, 335 Mayors as well as the Members of the Regional Councils and Municipals which are the legislative members.
“For this process, we hope to receive more than 80 guests from 25 African countries, delegation from 11 Electoral bodies of Africa.
“So they will be able to see for themselves this 29th electoral process in 22 years of this Bolivarian revolution.
“They will be able to see the functioning of our electoral system. The participatory democracy is one of the constitutional principles and it is part of the constitution chosen by the people in the referendum.
“A chapter of the constitution is to create a fully democratic system where the Venezuelan people can participate in a manner, in all aspect of politics.
“These coming elections is going to be a new example of the strength of our system, we have 42 political organisations that are participating, out of them, 37 are taking part in the process
“And 3,082 positions and 70,000 candidates are for those positions. Out of the 70,000 candidates, 882 belongs to the Socialist Party, the revolutionary alliance and we have more than 67,000 for those positions.
“So, 70,000 are the opposition trying to grasp those positions, while PSUV only has 3,000 candidates, so the vast majority are coming from the opposition and the whole of the opposition is participating.
“In the past, we had a democratic sector of the opposition that chose the coup d’état, foreign invasion, self-appointment of Presidents, but today, those sectors are taking part in the elections.
“The revolution has made it possible for this people to go back to elections, democracy,” Pimentel said.
He also said that the Venezuelan electoral process is one where all votes count through an automated system which is fully secured and developed in Venezuela.
“The vote of each Venezuelan is automated with the state-of-the-art facility, developed in Venezuela and this is crucial.
“You vote through a machine, you have double security,; you have the vote plus the slip of paper, therefore you can count the automated vote to speed up the process.
“But also, we can count the slip of paper in a ballot box then you can compare the results with the paper and the electronic vote. It is very safe and bullet proofed.
“In our country, each electoral system contains 17 audits, before, during, and after the process. In this audit, all political parties take part, all can check the machines, the hardware, the software;” Pimentel said.
Mr Abiodun Aremu, the National Coordinator, Amicar Cabral Ideology School Movement in Nigeria, pledged the solidarity of Nigeria to Venezuela towards undertaking its free polls devoid of any interferences.
Aremu added that it is time for Africa and other countries of the world to stand firm against any form of imposition against its sovereignty, independence and democracy.
“The challenge for us is to build across our African countries and the diaspora a movement of solidarity with Venezuela towards achieving the essence of real democracy.
“This is in such a way that we can work together towards the emergence of solidarity, to fully express our political and socio-economic independence.
“Without interference by any so-called and self-imposed police of the world,” Aremu said.
(NAN)