Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Union’s top diplomat expressed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has still “not delivered the necessary public evidence” to demonstrate he was the winner of July’s elections.
Why Is the EU Doubting the Validity of Venezuela’s Election Results?
Josep Borrell, the high representative of the EU said the European Union remains deeply concerned about the deepening political situation in Venezuela. The EU accommodates the interim report of the UN Panel of Experts, requested by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) to evaluate the overall conduct of the elections within the framework of the Barbados Agreement. This document has shed light on the electoral process and highlighted the lack of substantiation for the results announced by Venezuelan authorities.
As of today, Venezuelan leaders have not provided the necessary public evidence to estimate the electoral process according to the standards suggested by the UN panel of experts. In light of the ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela (TSJ), it is worth identifying that the CNE is the body legally and constitutionally accountable for the transparent and detailed publication of official electoral results. Only complete and independently checkable results will be accepted and acknowledged to ensure that the will of the Venezuelan people is admired.
What Actions Is the EU Urging Venezuela to Take Regarding Election Transparency?
The European Union continues to encourage the CNE to publish and independently ascertain the official voting records (“actas”) from all the polling stations. Furthermore, the European Union emphasises that the UN Panel of Experts has confirmed that a sample of the checked ‘actas’ published by the opposition display the security features of the original result protocols, thereby ensuring their reliability. According to the publicly available copies of the ‘actas,’ Edmundo González Urrutia would seem to be the victor of the presidential election by a significant majority.
Josep Borell stated that the Venezuelan people have to choose their destiny. Their will must prevail. The European Union will persist in working with its regional partners to ensure that the will of the Venezuelan people voiced at the ballot box is respected and to promote a Venezuelan-led dialogue that provides guarantees to both flanks and leads to the restoration of democracy and decodes the current humanitarian and socio-economic crisis.
Moreover, the EU demanded that Venezuelan authorities respect the right of all Venezuelans to peacefully show and freely express their political views without fear of reprisal. They must refrain from employing excessive force, end the repression and harassment of the resistance and civil society, and free all political prisoners. Human rights violations must be comprehensively investigated and those responsible held accountable.
