Caracas, October 18 (RHC)-- Delegations of the Venezuelan Government and the opposition Unitary Platform signed two partial agreements within the framework of the resumption of the dialogue process in Barbados.
The negotiating parties signed the so-called "partial agreement on the promotion of political rights and electoral guarantees for all" in view of the 2024 presidential elections, scheduled for the second half next year.
The documents relate to the promotion of political rights and electoral guarantees, as well as the protection of the vital interests of the nation. The agreement on electoral guarantees enshrines the right of each party to freely choose its candidates, within the framework of the Constitution and the country's electoral rules.
The parties agreed to work jointly with the National Electoral Council (CNE) to update the electoral registry (RE) through special sessions with the participation of witnesses and delegates from all political organizations.
All audits contemplated in the Venezuelan electoral system will be carried out and invitations will be extended to international observation missions, in a list that includes the United Nations, the European Union, the Carter Center and the African Union.
The agreement also provides that both blocs will respect the work of the CNE and will recognize the results of the 2024 elections. They also agreed on fair and transparent financing mechanisms for the elections.
The documents were signed by some twenty members of the negotiating parties, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Barbados, Jerome Walcott, and representatives of Norway, the facilitating country. Representatives of the Netherlands, Russia, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil were also present.
The President of the National Assembly (AN) Jorge Rodriguez said that "this is the first step of a much broader agreement that is in full development, construction, evolution (...)"
According to him, the first important step has been taken with the signing of the partial agreement within the framework of the political and electoral guarantees supported by the Venezuelan electoral system. In this sense, he said that during the elections the role of international organizations (EU, AU, Carter Center, etc.) "will be only of technical observation, but they will never be allowed to interfere in this process."
Rodriguez stressed that the parties must commit to peace, build a climate of political tolerance, respect the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, respect electoral results and resolve political and social issues.
This comes in the context of the resumption of talks between the government and the different sectors of the opposition, to which end the Venezuelan delegation, headed by Rodriguez, arrived in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The talks seek to reach a political agreement, just as agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Mexico City two years ago. President Nicolás Maduro has expressed his good expectations regarding the resumption of the dialogue table between the Government and the opposition.
The agreements "will be very beneficial for peace, because peace must be taken care of, they will be very beneficial for the upcoming elections, because we activate and reactivate the electoral guarantees given by the Constitution, our laws and the National Electoral Council," Maduro said.
"I have promoted these dialogues for years, in the worst circumstances to bring peace to Venezuela," said the Venezuelan president who regretted the breaches of previous agreements that sought to destabilize the South American nation.
