Venezuela Kicks Off Electoral Audit Process

Edited by Ivan Martínez
2015-11-17 12:19:36

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Caracas, November 17 (teleSUR-RHC)-- The audit on the Venezuela’s high-tech electoral platform began this Monday ahead of the Dec. 6 parliamentary elections, the National Electoral Council announced.

The council, known as the CNE, said technicians and representatives of all political parties participating in the poll are taking part in the audit process that will conclude Tuesday.

Elections in Venezuela have been automated since 1998, with polling stations equipped with multiple high-tech touch-screen voting machines.

After the vote is cast, each machine prints out a paper ballot, which is inspected by the voter and deposited in a ballot box. The process has been recognized worldwide for its efficiency and transparency.

The Carter Center, an election watchdog led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, praised Venezuela's balloting system in 2013, calling it “the best in the world.”

However, the right-wing opposition and mainstream media have unsuccessfully accused the system of being set up to benefit the ruling PSUV socialist party.

During the 2013 presidential election, the opposition refused to accept President Nicolas Maduro’s victory over their presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles, who accused the CNE, an independent electoral body, of fraud.

Although the accusations were dismissed by international election observers, the opposition led a campaign of violence in which at least nine people were killed and 16 injured.
      
In order to prevent similar incidents in December’s elections, Maduro called on all political forces to sign an agreement to guarantee a peaceful environment, however the right-wing opposition refused to take part.

More than 19 million Venezuelans are eligible to vote this Dec. 6. They will vote for legislative representatives for the 87 districts across the country. 


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