On Tuesday, Maduro proposed to the opposition the signing of an agreement that would bind both sides to recognize and respect the results of the December 6 parliamentary elections, no matter what the result. Maduro announced the proposal by saying:
I think the time has come for the Electoral Power to issue a document, and I as chief of state will speak on behalf of all patriotic, Bolivarian, chavista, revolutionary, socialist forces. We are willing to sign it whenever, right now, to recognize the results of the December 6 elections, whatever they may be.
The proposal was met with skepticism from the opposition. The head of the Mesa de la Unidad Democratica (MUD) – the official opposition bloc – Jesus Torrealba, said that it did not make sense to sign an agreement with someone “whose word means nothing”. Instead of an essentially meaningless show as is the signing of the document, Torrealba suggested that the government instead agree to more concrete steps to guarantee the fairness of the elections, including:
- Allowing international observers from the Organization of American States and the European Union.
- Barring PSUV candidates from using state money to run their campaigns.
- Suspending cadenas [government broadcasts that all radio and television stations must show in their entirety whenever they are called] until the election.
- Allowing all candidates equal access to radio airwaves.
Enrique Naime, an electoral expert, told El Nacional that signing an agreement to respect election results is secondary to respecting the way the elections are held:
Historically, in electoral processes, documents are signed to respect the electoral process, not the results, because they are a consequence of a process.
Naima echoed Torrealba’s suggestions and proposed eight key points to ensure the elections are conducted fairly, including allowing for the presence of national and international observers.
Cabello: Opposition Will Receive “Beating” on December 6
National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello spoke at an event yesterday in Carabobo state on the December 6 Parliamentary elections. He said:
We are going to win, and we are going to give them a beating. They think that the people – which might have reason to be upset – will come out and vote for an escualido [derogatory term for opposition member]. That will never happen. Chavistas have conscience, and no matter what happens they will go along with the Bolivarian project and Commander Chavez.
Cabello also said that the opposition “will never again govern Bolivar’s land”, and said that the opposition’s goal was not to win the election, but to:
… bring back the disaster that was the Fourth Republic [the political period before Chavez came to power], the assassinations, the parapolicias [this literally means, “paramilitary police”, but I think it’s akin to “hit squad”].
AG: Rosales Will Be Arrested Immediately Upon Return
Former Zulia governor and presidential candidate Manuel Rosales has been living in self-exile since 2009. At that time, he stood accused of corruption, a charge he dismissed as political. On Friday, Rosales announced that he would finally return to Venezuela “with evidence to prove the confabulation” that forced him to free the country.
Speaking from a secret location – widely believed to be somewhere in Peru – Rosales said:
We’ll meet again in the Chinita airport [in Zulia state] on Thursday, October 15. I’ll be stepping on Venezuelan soil in turbulent times, against threats and everything, because this struggle is for the people, for history, and for the Venezuelan homeland.
Today, Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz was straightforward with her assessment of Rosales’ return;
There is an arrest warrant out for Manuel Rosales, so he will be arrested when he enters Venezuela.
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