Maduro calls on top court to review election results in Venezuela
Nicolas Maduro (Getty Images)
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has appealed to the country’s highest court, requesting an audit of the presidential election after opposition leaders challenged his claim of victory, citing ABC News.
Maduro said that Venezuela’s ruling party is ready to present all documents related to the election vote count.
"I throw myself before justice. I am willing to be summoned, questioned, investigated," Maduro said outside the Supreme Court building in Caracas.
Maduro agreed to a first step toward election transparency, but the court that will review the results is closely linked to his government. Judges are appointed by federal officials and confirmed by the National Assembly, where Maduro's supporters hold the majority. The Carter Center, which monitored the elections, criticized this move, arguing that the court would not provide an independent review of the elections.
The Atlanta-based group stated that they were unable to verify the announced election results in Venezuela. They criticized the "complete lack of transparency" during the announcement of Maduro’s victory. Electoral authorities allowed the Carter Center to send 17 observers.
Maduro's main opponent, Edmundo Gonzalez, and opposition leader María Corina Machado claim they received more than two-thirds of the tally sheets, indicating Maduro’s defeat.
Venezuela's elections
Venezuela’s election commission announced that Maduro won 51% of the vote, continuing socialist rule. However, polls indicated an opposition victory. Protests on Tuesday demanded that Maduro concede defeat. International observers and the Carter Center stated that the vote did not meet international standards for fairness.
For more on the Venezuelan elections and the mass protests in the country, see the full report by RBC-Ukraine.
