Venezuela’s top court suspends results of opposition presidential primary
- Ruling could risk the wrath of the United States, which this month rolled back some sanctions in exchange for the electoral deal
- US said it will reinstate sanctions if Maduro’s government does not lift bans on some opposition candidates and free ‘wrongfully detained’ Americans
Venezuela’s Supreme Justice Tribunal said on Monday it has suspended the results of an opposition presidential primary which took place this month, despite an electoral deal between the government and the opposition that allows each side to choose its presidential candidate according to internal rules.
The US State Department has already said it will reinstate sanctions if the government of President Nicolas Maduro does not lift bans on some opposition candidates and free political prisoners and “wrongfully detained” Americans by the end of November.
Machado claims win in Venezuelan presidential primary vote
The decision by the court, which the opposition considers an arm of the government, comes after the attorney general announced last week that his office is investigating the primary and members of its organising commission for electoral violations, financial crimes and conspiracy.
Members of the organising commission were meeting with prosecutors on Monday for interviews relating to the case, the commission said on social media.
The opposition and the primary’s winner Maria Corina Machado have insisted repeatedly the vote was transparent and fair.
The government has decried alleged fraud since the October 22 vote, which was organised without state help and which organisers said attracted more than 2.3 million voters.
The government of Maduro, in power for a decade, and the opposition signed an electoral deal in Barbados, agreeing to international observers and that each side can choose its candidate according to internal rules.
“We urge Nicolas Maduro and his representatives to uphold the commitments they made at the signing of the political road map agreement,” a State Department spokesperson said. “The US government will take action if Maduro and his representatives do not meet their commitments.”
Both the investigation and the ruling come at the request of lawmaker Jose Brito, who the court said wanted to participate in the primary.
Brito does not belong to any of the parties which took part.
“Following the request of preventive protection and in consequence, all the effects of the distinct phases of the electoral process conducted by the National Primary Commission are suspended,” the tribunal said on its website.
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The commission must present all documents related to its creation, candidate registration, voting records and other documents, the tribunal said.
The commission must also account for the participation of candidates like Machado, who is barred from holding public office in a decision the opposition says is illegal.
The ruling “temporarily suspends the primary until there is a final decision from the tribunal,” said lawyer and university professor Jose Vicente Haro. “The tribunal is late to the decision because it comes after the primary. They shouldn’t have accepted the petition.”
Some observers said the opposition parties that took part in the primary should simply recognise Machado once again as their unity candidate, making any ruling on the contest moot.
The opposition this month declined electoral authorities’ offer of help organise the primary, and its request to delay the vote until November, after the authorities took several months to respond to the opposition’s request for help.
