Maduro to seek re-election
CARACAS: President Nicolas Maduro said on Tuesday he is ready to seek re-election after his allies pushed forward voting in a move widely seen as a bid to capitalise on disarray in the Venezuelan opposition and consolidate power amid a freefalling economy.
Mr Maduro’s comment came soon after the pro-government constitutional assembly ordered the presidential election be held by the end of April — months ahead of when the country’s presidential voting has traditionally taken place.
He said the ruling socialist party would settle on a single consensus candidate at a convention on Feb 4. If selected, he said, he would relish the opportunity to measure up against his opponents. He called on the National Electoral Council to set as near a date as possible for the presidential election.
“They should find the closest date, to get this out of the way so we can begin to make a great revolution,” a jubilant Mr Maduro told hundreds of red-shirted supporters at a rally to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of Venezuela’s last military dictatorship.
While Venezuelans had been expecting an early election, the announcement came as a surprise because talks between the opposition and government have been taking place in the Dominican Republic for weeks — so far without a breakthrough. The opposition has used those talks to push for guarantees that voting will be fair.