Venezuela: Guterres calls for ‘full transparency’ after disputed presidential election
After hours of delay, incumbent President Nicolás Maduro was officially declared the winner of Sunday’s controversial presidential election, securing a third term in office.
“We have taken note of the announcement by the electoral authorities as well as the concerns expressed by politicians and members of the international community,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric tell reporters in New York.
Call for moderation
“The Secretary-General calls for full transparency and encourages the timely publication of election results and detailed analysis of each polling station,” he said.
“The Secretary-General is confident that any electoral dispute will be resolved peacefully and calls on all Venezuelan political leaders and their supporters to act with moderation,” he added.
Furthermore, the UN chief “reiterated that electoral bodies should conduct their work independently and free from interference to ensure the free expression of the will of voters.”
United Nations Panel of Experts
Reporters also asked Mr. Dujarric about United Nations Panel of Election Experts deployed to Venezuela ahead of the vote, who will prepare an independent internal report to the Secretary-General on the entire conduct of the election.
He said Ban had been in the country earlier this month and they were expected to report to the Secretary-General sometime next week.
An Election Expert Panel is one of the different types of electoral assistance that the United Nations can provide to member states upon their request. Unlike UN election observation missions, which are extremely rare and require a specific mandate, Security Council or Plenum, These Boards do not make public statements about the entire election process or its results.
