Regional elections which are taking place on Sunday will continue in an uninterrupted fashion while voters are still in line, as is established by law, said Tibisay Lucena, president of the National Electoral Council (CNE).
“As is established in the Organic Law for Suffrage and Political Participation, in article 158, voting should take place without interruption until 4:00 in the afternoon, and it will then continue while there are voters waiting in line,” she emphasized.
In virtue of this, Lucena called upon voting officials in polling stations where voters are waiting to continue with their electoral activities.
“The CNE has always established that it is a constitutional duty to guarantee that the vote of each citizen, so those polling centers where people are still waiting must remain open until the last person in line has exercised her right to vote,” insisted Lucen.
She also called upon political organizations to remain calm, since they are not the ones who make electoral decisions; that is up to the CNE>
“We have clearly said that we took the decision to strictly comply with the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” she said.
“There are people who are trying to put some sort of pressure on the CNE, but they are mistaken because we are firm in our compliance with the law, and above all is the sacred right to express our sovereignty through suffrage,” explained Lucena.
She also reminded people that the Electoral Branch is the only one which can release election results.
Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Press Office / November 23, 2008
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