International Dispute: Venezuela's Electoral Body Discards UN Specialists' Report Over Perceived Political Motives
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August 15, 2024 (Our Rebel Source) - Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) has lashed out at a UN electoral expert team's report following the July 28 vote, branding it "illegitimate" and "devious."
In a stern statement shared Thursday, the CNE blasted the report's publication, calling it a blatant political stunt, teeming with fallacious and distorted arguments. The electoral body stressed that the UN panel didn't have the authority to comment on Venezuela's electoral process, as per their agreed-upon function.
According to the CNE, the UN experts were there as observers, not investigators. Consequently, they did not have the right to issue any public statement or judgment on the election.
The CNE took aim at the panel, calling them out for attempting to delegitimize the election using flimsy and easily refutable arguments. They pointed out that there were no unanticipated changes in polling stations, as claimed by the UN report, and that the cyberattack that delayed the data transmission and results publication was transparently addressed in real-time.
Evidence of the cyberattack and the terrorists' confessions were presented on multiple social media platforms, asserted the CNE. Moreover, national and international observers confirmed the cyber incident, making the UN panel's allegations baseless.
The cyberattack didn't prevent the CNE from transmitting 80 percent of the polling station tallies for the first bulletin, showcasing an "unshakable result" in favor of President Nicolás Maduro. The Venezuelan officials highlighted that UN experts and observers don't have the legal right to audit voting records or receive printed copies, contrary to the UN report's claims.
Breaking down results by polling centers, as suggested by the UN experts, was unnecessary, claimed the CNE. They argued that doing so would "stir up confusion" and undermine the confidence of the electorate in the announced results.
Venezuelan law gives the CNE 30 days (until August 28) to publish detailed results in the National Gazette. The Foreign Affairs Ministry accused the US State Department of influencing the hostile UN report, alleging that the UN experts had frequent contact with US officials.
While other international delegations endorsed the electoral process and its outcomes, organizations like the National Lawyers Guild, Basque observers, and the Carter Center have expressed varying opinions. The National Lawyers Guild stated they didn't witness any instances of fraud or major discrepancies, whereas a group of Basque observers denounced an "orchestrated charade" intended to sow chaos in the country.
The Carter Center, however, noted that the elections "didn't adhere to international standards." Amidst this tension, Venezuela's far-right factions, led by Maria Corina Machado, refuse to acknowledge the official results. Two days following the election, Machado's team launched a website, detailing alleged voting tallies in support of their claim that Edmundo Gonzalez triumphed in a landslide.
However, an analysis by Diario Red discovered widespread irregularities in the initial uploaded records, raising suspicions about their authenticity. "Our investigation affirms that thousands of these 'electoral documents' have been tampered with," Diario Red stated.
Despite their triumphant announcement, the opposition failed to furnish evidence to the Electoral Branch of Venezuela's Supreme Court (TSJ) regarding the alleged hacking and voting discrepancies. As of now, the TSJ is conducting a technical review of the submitted evidence, along with appointed experts. A ruling has not been scheduled, though TSJ President Caryslia Rodriquez promised a definitive and conclusive verdict.
- The UN electoral expert team, in response to the July 28 vote, allegedly contrasted their findings with the policies and legislation established by Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE), creating war-and-conflicts within the politics sphere.
- The Venezuelan officials are stating that boasting about unanticipated changes in polling stations, as the UN report did, is merely an attempt to delegitimize the election and stir up crime-and-justice or general-news related issues.
- The CNE has been emphatic that the UN experts, despite claiming otherwise, did not have the authority to audit voting records or demand printed copies of polling data.
- While other international delegations have endorsed the electoral process and its outcomes, organizations like the National Lawyers Guild, Basque observers, and the Carter Center have offered varying opinions, with some claiming war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice issues in the election.
- According to a report by Diario Red, there have been wide-ranging irregularities in the initial uploaded electoral records, raising concerns about their accuracy and potentially implicating car-accidents, fires, or other incidents.
- As the opposition continues to allege voting discrepancies and hacking, they have yet to provide sufficient evidence to the Electoral Branch of Venezuela’s Supreme Court, leading to ongoing crime-and-justice related disputes and further undermining the public's trust in the announced results.
