Five months after the primary elections of the Venezuelan opposition grouped in a unitary platform, the process has been plagued by inconsistencies between the various parties, candidates, extremists and the National Electoral Council itself (cne), whose presence was requested by the organization of these elections, whose proximity is inversely proportional to the consensus between the parties.
The voting system, the qualification or not of disqualified candidates, the involvement of Venezuelans abroad or the need for the intervention of the CNE, among other reasons, generated a debate on which there is currently no consensus.
Here are some of the keys to the current landscape of the opposition primaries electoral process:
1- Automatic or manual voting
The National Primary Commission (CNP) – in charge of organizing the process – proposed two scenarios to be able to conduct these elections, one with manual voting and the other with an automated system operated by the CNE, and which has been Is. The great opposition debates because of a sector’s mistrust of this body.
Carlos Medina, one of the directors of the Venezuelan Electoral Observatory (OEV), explained that the two formulas for the primary are viable, noting that the automated system has significant advantages in demonstrating its ability to conduct audits at all stages, with As well as control of the system.
2- Fingerprint capture and proof of identity
Opponents asked the CNE to use an automated system for the primaries, but without using any biometric mechanism, called fingerprint capture, to capture the voter’s identity, a process that, according to Medina, could lead to duplication of votes. serves to reduce voter turnout and does not prevent voter anonymity.
There are techniques to avoid identity disclosure, but it is up to the political will of the parties, the CNE, the commission and the candidates to put these mechanisms in place to respect the voter and that their data is not made public, something that would also generate anomalies. Is.
3- Disabled candidates
The CNP allows opposition politicians to be disqualified by decision of the Comptroller General, given that they have committed crimes or alleged irregularities, to run in primaries, without guaranteeing that their status is irreversible and that they become presidential candidates. Maybe if they win. internal ones
Last February, the CNP’s president, Jesús María Casal, said that if a disqualified opponent wins, what happens next will not be a matter for the entity that conducts the primaries, but will depend on state bodies. Restrictions for his possible lifting.
4- Respect the consequences
As part of the requirements for the application, published in an internal regulation, candidates must sign a declaration of principles to guarantee governance, as well as a minimum government program agreed between pre-candidates, and the decisions of the organizing unit. Must respect and result. Vote’s
The commission stressed that non-observance of some of these factors, included in the CNP rules, would be grounds for rejecting a pre-candidate nomination for the primaries on October 22, the day Chavismo’s opponent would go to the presidency. Will go 2024 elections.
5- Second wing of the opposition
Despite these commission rules, it is unlikely that there will be a single opposition candidate for next year’s presidential election, given the anti-Chavista split.
Opponents Antonio Icarri, Bernabé Gutiérrez and José Brito have announced their intention to become candidates, making it clear they will not participate in the primary elections, although they have called for a campaign to select a single champion in the anti-Chavista field. The mechanism has not been announced. ,
