Venezuela Referendum Drive: A Quick Guide

by Naharnet Newsdesk 26 July 2016, 11:48

Venezuelans seeking to oust President Nicolas Maduro expect a crucial ruling Tuesday on whether their efforts to remove him in a referendum can proceed.

Here is a quick guide to the process:

PETITIONS

The opposition has submitted more than six times the 200,000 signatures needed to get electoral authorities to consider their referendum demand.

Last month, electoral offices across the country spent five days fingerprinting signatories to confirm their identity. If they validate at least 200,000 signatures, the opposition will then have to gather a total of four million signatures to trigger a referendum.

If a referendum is ultimately held, the number of votes to remove Maduro from office would have to be greater than the number he received in his 2013 election victory: about 7.5 million.

DEADLINES

Electoral authorities set Tuesday as their deadline to authenticate the initial voter signatures.

If they give the green light, the opposition will have three days, at a yet-to-be-determined date, to gather four million more signatures.

After that, the electoral council has 15 business days to count and validate them.

Then it is supposed to set a date for a referendum.

The opposition is hastening to complete the recall process by January 10, the cutoff to trigger new elections.

Past that date, a successful recall vote would simply pass power to Maduro's hand-picked vice president.

OBSTACLES

Maduro has challenged the referendum drive as unconstitutional in the Supreme Court. His opponents say he controls the court and the electoral authorities through his allies.

Maduro has warned he could take additional emergency measures if recent deadly looting and protests escalate. That could prevent a recall referendum from taking place.

Time is on Maduro's side. The opposition complains his influence over the electoral council can help him drag out the process so a vote does not happen this year.

Source: Agence France Presse

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