CARACAS.- The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) said that it is urgent to prepare and present an electoral calendar “that will lead us to clean and transparent elections.”
At the end of the Ordinary Plenary Assembly, the bishops published a statement in which they talk about the electoral year that Venezuela is experiencing, with which it will be possible to “recover the democratic and participatory principles of the nation.”
In the text signed by the CEV, the pastors asserted that the upcoming elections represent an opportunity for all Venezuelans. That is why they invited all political parties and society to commit to the design of “a shared vision of the country.”
“Within the panorama described above, we begin an electoral year in which the President of the Republic must be elected and thus recover the democratic and participatory principles of the nation. Therefore, the preparation and presentation of an electoral calendar that leads to clean and transparent elections is urgently needed,” the text underlines.
Likewise, they state that the dignity and importance of the population must be the center of the electoral process. In this sense, they asked for respect for all participants – candidates or voters – for their ideas, positions and political rights.
Talks
Regarding the negotiations that have been held between the regime and the opposition, The bishops urge us to carry out a “serious, sincere and committed” dialogue between all sectors of national life.
“It is necessary to incorporate representatives from various sectors, such as academia, unions, guilds, the armed forces, etc. Only in this way can new agreements be reached that deepen democratic lines and social pacts, allowing for better development of the country,” they maintain.
The presidential elections in Venezuela were agreed for the second half of this year 2024, according to what was announced on October 17, 2023, within the framework of the negotiations between the opposition and Chavista delegations in Barbados. To date, the National Electoral Council has not published the electoral schedule for the elections. Several sectors have demanded the presentation of the schedule and date of the presidential election.
Although the Episcopate did not expressly point it out, there is still no response regarding the disqualification of María Corina Machado, who won by a wide margin the opposition’s primary consultation to choose a single candidate, which becomes a political obstacle to progress in this upcoming electoral process.
Source: VENEZUELAN EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE COMMUNICATE
