Venezuela Court, Citing Fairness Concerns, Suspends Elections

Citing technical woes, Venezuela’s high court on Thursday suspended this weekend’s general elections, saying free and fair balloting is impossible until the problems are resolved.

Conditions for “credibility and transparency” in Sunday’s presidential, congressional and regional elections do not exist, said Ivan Rincon, president of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice.

Rincon said holding the elections in the face of computer problems would constitute “a violation of the right to vote as stipulated in the constitution.”

The court instructed the legislature to set a new date for the balloting and ordered that no campaigning take place until the new date is announced.

Venezuelans had been expected to elect more than 6,200 public officials, including president, members of Congress, governors, mayors and local council members. Problems with computer software for tabulating votes and registering more than 36,000 candidates jeopardized the elections.

Election authorities and international observers said Thursday that technical glitches remained in what has been called the “mega-elections” because of the huge number of offices at stake.

“At this hour, I do not believe the conditions are appropriate to hold elections,” said Patricio Lombardi, a spokesman for the Organization of American States mission in Venezuela.