Venezuela’s Electoral Council rector rejected disqualifications Chavismo imposed on opposition candidates

The rector of the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela Roberto Picon on Monday rejected the use of the sanction of disqualification candidates for mayors and governors to be elected November 21 in the regional elections.

“We see with concern how the recourse to the accessory sanction of disqualification from the exercise of public functions is re-entering the political scene of the country, at a time when an electoral process is looming”Picón said in a statement posted on his Twitter account.

The rector confirmed that Leocenis Garcia and Eduardo Saman, candidates for mayor of Caracas, were prevented from formalizing their candidacy because of this sanction imposed by the Chavist dictatorship.

“The aforementioned citizens have announced their intention to exercise their right to vote in politics by running for office elected by universal suffrage, but they were surprised by last minute decisions that were not notified on time“He added.

Picón stressed that article 65 of the Venezuelan Constitution establishes that they will not be able to run for a post elected by the people. those who have been convicted of crimes committed in the line of duty and that this anticipated circumstance is intended to guarantee fundamental rights, such as political rights.

“With such constitutional provisions, it aims to provide the greatest possible guarantee for the exercise of citizens’ rights, without being hampered by opportunistic decisions at administrative headquarters, ”he said.

The rector declared that the requirement of the final sentence “It intends to protect the right to due process, which includes the right to defense, both in judicial proceedings and in administrative proceedings, the whole being attached to the content of article 49 of the Constitution”, certain precepts which, in his opinion, were ignored in these cases.

“The political disqualifications practiced in these terms mutate in their constitutional conception of being ancillary penalties a main sanctions through the facts, ”he said.

He adds that to this is added “the aggravating circumstance that the accessory sanction is suspended until the decision-maker deems it appropriate to activate it, giving this decision discretionary an absolutely unacceptable turn, because unconstitutional, the effect of which is even violation of the principles of supremacy and effectiveness of constitutional norms and principles”.

The vice-president of the CNE, Enrique Marquez, also shared Picón’s position and added, on his Twitter account, that “The discretionary use of the ancillary sanction of disqualification from holding public office violates the political rights of citizens.”

On November 21, Venezuela celebrates regional elections and premises elect the governors of 23 states and the mayors of 335 municipalities, as well as representatives of the Legislative Councils.

Venezuela’s main opposition parties have announced they will run in the next elections for governors and mayors, after three years of non-participation in electoral acts for the persecution of the Maduro regime against its leaders.

Opponents of the dictator did not take part in the 2018 presidential election and the legislative elections of 2020 arguing that the procedures had been rigged in favor of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).

Opposition leaders in Venezuelan provinces pressured to abandon abstention strategy and they spent weeks chatting with forge a unified platform against Maduro’s allies.

Participation in the November vote is a central issue in a new round of negotiations with the regime that will resume on September 3 in Mexico City. Politicians called on Maduro to establish basic electoral guarantees to ensure a free and fair electoral process, and to invite international observation missions.

(With information from EFE)

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