Venezuela’s Ruling Party Sweeps Regional, Municipal Polls

Venezuela’s ruling party, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) has won 20 out of 23 governorship seats in the country’s just concluded regional and municipal polls held on Sunday.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) made this known on Monday shortly after the end of the polls.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 70,000 candidates contested for 3,000 positions; 23 candidates emerged winners as state governors and 335 as municipalities mayors.

After transmitting 90.21 per cent of the tally sheets, the CNE reported over eight million voter turnout, representing 41.80 per cent of voters, as at when the result was obtained.

The CNE disclosed that the ruling PSUV also clinched the mayor’s office of the Libertado, which is the country’s capital Caracas.

NAN reports that the ruling PSUV won the governorship seats in Municipalities of Libertador, Amazonas, Anzoategul, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Delta Amacuro, Falcon, Guarico, La Guaira, Lara region.

 The PSUV also won Miranda, Merida, Monagas, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, and Yuracuy regions.

 The main opposition party, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), won two regions; Cojedes, and Zulia regions, while the other opposition party, Furez Vecinal won at the Nueva Esparta region.

 NAN also reports that the Nov. 21, regional and municipal polls was long awaited by the people of Venezuela as it was the first time that the opposition party is participating in the country’s elections after some years.

The election was monitored by international observers from the European Union and the Carter Foundation, amongst others, to witness the credibility of the electoral system. (NAN)