[News] Venezuela's presidential candidates have agreed to delay the slated April 22 elections until May 20

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-President-Maduro-Happy-as-Elections-Move-to-May-20-20180301-0015.html 



  Venezuela: President Maduro 'Happy' as Elections Move to May 20

March 2, 2018
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*Venezuela*'s *presidential* candidates have agreed to delay the slated 
April 22 *elections *until May 20, it has been announced, a move 
welcomed by President N*icolas Maduro*.

Campaign chiefs *Luis Romero* for *Henri Falcon*, and *Jorge Rodriguez* 
for President Maduro, signed the agreement guaranteeing that all parties 
would also respect the results of the rescheduled elections.

Maduro posted his support for the new agreement on social media, saying 
through his Facebook page on Thursday that *democracy* and the political 
rights of voters could only be guaranteed by way of the ballot box.

"I want to go to a process of *reconciliation* with all Venezuelans... I 
feel very happy and satisfied with the agreement signed today with the 
opposition," Maduro wrote.

Communications Minister *Jorge Rodriguez* told Reuters that Thursday's 
agreement with Falcon's *Progressive Advance* party, and some other 
movements, was evidence of a reconciliatory spirit that undercut foreign 
criticism of autocratic rule in Venezuela.

"Venezuela is a model *democracy* for the whole world," Rodriguez told 
reporters at the election board headquarters.

Meanwhile Romero, who leads Falcon's party, said the only way to bring 
about change was via the polls, and not through protests similar to 
those that killed nearly 130 people last year.

"Venezuelans want to get rid of Maduro, but not by killing each other in 
the streets," he said, also speaking at the election board in downtown 
Caracas.

Romero and Rodriguez attended a press conference Thursday at the 
*National Election Counci*l, or *CNE*, where its chief *Tibisay Lucena 
*announced the agreement and said a date would be set as part of 
upcoming discussions between the government and opposition parties.

"We invite all organizations with political ends to participate in a 
*dialogue* of electoral guarantees," Lucena told reporters at her 
council’s headquarters as the two representatives signed the agreement.

The agreement also establishes that the elections of the members of 
*state legislative councils* and of the *municipal councils* will also 
take place at the same time as the *presidential election*, on May 20.

After the agreement was signed, Lucena said the parties "celebrate the 
signing of an electoral guarantee agreement with the participation of 
the political parties, who commit themselves before the country to carry 
out the electoral process with greater tranquility and *transparency*."

The president said that "this agreement ratifies the dialogue in the 
*Dominican Republic *and gives way to choosing our leaders and 
representatives with the broadest electoral guarantees because the CNE 
is committed and has complied with these agreements."

Six people have registered as candidates for the 
presidential elections: current President Nicolas Maduro, Falcon, 
Reinaldo Quijada, Francisco Visconti, Luis Alejandro Ratti, and the 
evangelical pastor Javier Bertucci.

-- 
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