Venezuela to go for polls twice this week as conflicting governance continues

In first of its kind electoral polls, Venezuelans have been asked to come to cast their votes not once but twice. The current decisions are being considered as bizarre additions to the already complicated politics of Venezuela. 

This came after President Nicolas Maduro’s government declared their win in the election on December 7, an announcement which is largely rejected on the International stage. Considering the strong opposition and outrage, the opposition is holding a referendum to reject the outcome of the weekend’s vote. 

In Venezuela, there has been a strange situation for the last two years. The country has seen dual presidencies that have effectively hampered the progress of the country have tarnished the economy leading people to huge losses. 

Some of the observers feel that the presidential situation may be dragged to the very last of the matters. This election is somehow a replica of 2018 when the sitting president Maduro was deemed as the winner of the presidential election but the opposition denied the authenticity of the elections and alleged fraud in the process. 

Then too, the oppositions rejected their defeat. One of the electoral product firms involved in the process Smartmatic said that they could not ensure the ‘validity’ of these elections happened in 2018. But for Maduro, it was hardly a matter of concern. He conveniently considered himself the new president and carried a two-year long term. 

The forceful rule led the opposition to carry out rallies against the president in favor of the younger lawmaker Juan Guaido. He was soon sworn as the interim president in January 2019. But unlike Maduro, more than 60 international locations have acknowledged his presidency which included the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and almost all of Latin America. 

But whereas Guaido got the support of the most international support, Maduro received assistance from China, Russia, Cuba, and Iran and thus Maduro was declared the de facto ruler of the capital city, Caracas. 

The results were officially announced early on Monday where Maduro’s party received the majority with 67 percent of the votes but the catch was there were only one of three voters who came to vote. But Maduro dismissed the concern of the low turnout and called the election result as the ‘victory for democracy and the constitution’.