User:Ballers1919/Primary elections of the Unitary Platform of 2023

The 2023 Democratic Unitary Platform primary elections will be held on October 22, 2023, to choose the coalition's presidential candidate in the following year's elections. The first official announcement of the primaries was made on May 16, 2022 by the opposition coalition, setting 2023 as the year of holding these elections. The primaries will be organized by the National Primary Commission, without the assistance of the National Electoral Council, and with the use of manual voting.

Convocation
According to Voice of America, on May 12, 2022, negotiations were taking place through work sessions between the main opposition forces in view of the presidential elections and eventual primaries, which were being held in Panama. After these conversations, on May 16, 2022, in a statement issued through the National Communication Center of opposition leader Juan Guaidó, the Unitary Platform announced that it will hold primary elections in 2023 to choose the candidate who will compete in the 2024 presidential elections. In the same way, the coalition announced its «re-foundation», creating municipal, regional and international chapters of it.

The coalition, made up of the 4 most important opposition parties, the "G4" -Primero Justicia, Un Nuevo Tiempo, Acción Democrática and Voluntad Popular-, and 30 organizations and political movements, also selected the former president of Parliament Omar Barboza as executive secretary of the organization, who will be in charge of coordinating the primary process and "helping to the harmonious development of the debate and strengthening the unit." El País referred to Barboza as "a moderate line operator known for his capacity for negotiation and internal articulation". David Uzcátegui, leader of Fuerza Vecinal, a party that is not a member of the organization, criticized the call and stated "the Unitary Platform has underestimated alternative forces.", while Vente Venezuela, led by María Corina Machado, communicated a series of conditions for the party to participate in the opposition consultation, asking that they be done before 2023.

Despite the fact that they will be held in 2023, a date had not been set, nor has a primary regulation been published. The debate has also arisen within the opposition on whether the primaries should be carried out through the National Electoral Council, or through the means that the same coalition may have.

On June 28, 2022, the executive secretary of the organization, Omar Barboza, confirmed that the primaries would be in 2023, and that they would be led by a National Electoral Commission made up of "honorable people who transmit credibility", a commission that will be established by consensus within of the organization. On the specific date, Barboza commented only that it would be defined "before the end of this year." Barboza specified that for a party, political organization or candidate to participate in the primaries, it must not be part of the Unitary Platform.

Rules of the primaries
On October 19, 2022, the Unitary Platform published the so-called national primary regulations, which establishes the technical guidelines through which the internal opposition process will be carried out. The regulation, made up of 55 articles, regulates the principles, organization and technical procedure that will be executed by the National Primary Commission, to carry out the same. Said document will promote the way in which Venezuelans abroad can vote; the requirements to present a presidential candidacy and the procedure to give way to the formation of electoral boards and polling stations.

The regulation expresses that only the presidential standard-bearer of the coalition will be chosen in the primaries. It will be through universal, direct and secret voting, and Venezuelans registered with the electoral registry will participate. As a requirement to run as a pre-candidate, in addition to those established by article 227 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the regulation establishes that candidates must have "demonstrated an unequivocal commitment to the fight for freedom, the rescue of democracy, respect for human rights, the freedom of political prisoners and the return of exiles and sign a declaration of democratic principles that will be presented by the CP (National Primary Commission)”.

It is also ordered that the pre-candidates must subscribe to a "minimum government" program, developed in conjunction with other political, social and economic sectors of the country, as well as respect the electoral result.

National Primary Commission
On November 9, 2022, the Democratic Unitary Platform published the list of members of the National Primary Commission, agreed upon by members of the coalition's political forces.


 * Resignation of Rafael Arraiz

Schedule
On December 13, 2022, Jesús María Casal, president of the National Commission for Primary Education, stated that June 25, 2023 had been set as a tentative, unofficial date, as the day of the primary election, and said that since the CP was working to achieve this. However, on February 15, 2023, the National Primary Commission held an event where it made public the electoral schedule, in which October 22 was set as the official date of the election. On April 21, 2023, the National Primary Commission, through a statement, announces the postponement of the process of the publication of regulations and instructions from April 24, 2023 to May 7, 2023, "The National Primary Commission (CNP) has not completed the consultations on some of the regulations related to the primary election," the statement said.

Joint Technical Commission
On March 8, the Joint Technical Commission was installed between the National Commission for primaries and the National Electoral Council. It is made up of the members of the National Primary Commission: Jesús María Casal, Ismael Pérez Vigil and Roberto Abdul. While the electoral technicians are: Francisco Castro and Miguel Cañas. This commission was coordinated in the meetings of the Unitary Platform in November 2022, it will present two proposals to the citizens and the competent bodies: 1) “A plan for the incorporation of the electoral processes of Venezuelans who are abroad” and 2) “The possibility of a registry, whose scope and characteristics have not been defined, for the participation of Venezuelans who are abroad in the primary”.

Participation of the National Electoral Council
On April 18, the National Electoral Council clarified that the use of fingerprint scanners in the primary elections organized by the opposition is necessary in the process, while pre-candidates such as María Corina Machado, Andrés Velásquez and César Pérez Vivas have pressed to keep the electoral body out of the election process, alleging the impartiality of the body. El CNE indicó en la Comisión Técnica Conjunta que era imposible cumplir con los requerimientos de las primarias, si las mismas no se hacían con los procedimientos habituales, es decir, captahuellas, votación automatizada y Plan República.

Soon after the candidate registration period began, on June 15, 2023, eight rectors, including principals and alternates, of the National Electoral Council resigned from their positions, and the National Assembly began the process of selecting and appointing new rectors. In view of this, Jesús María Casal, president of the Primary Commission, announced that due to the lack of response to the various letters sent to the CNE to coordinate technical assistance, and also the resignation of its rectors, the primary election will be carried out self-managed, with manual voting, and without using educational facilities of voting centers.

Cities Abroad
81 cities in 31 countries have been chosen for residents abroad. The United States, with 15 cities, is the country with the most locations, Colombia, with 10 cities, follows it on the list of sites where centers will be set up. Spain also stands out, with 8; Brazil, with 5; Italy and Chile, with 4; Mexico, Portugal, Peru and Canada, with 3 each; Argentina and Ecuador, with 2. (Trujillo was added in Peru) • Argentina, Buenos Aires

• Argentina, Cordoba,

• Aruba, Oranjestad

• Australia, Sydney

• Belgium, Brussels

• Bolivia, La Paz

• Brazil, Boa Vista

• Brazil, Manaus

• Brazil, Sao Paulo

• Brazil, Pacaraima

• Brazil, Curitiba

• Canada, Montreal

• Canada, Toronto

• Canada, Calgary

• Chile, Santiago

• Chile, Valparaiso

• Chile, Iquique

• Chile, Concepcion

• Colombia, Barranquilla

• Colombia Bogota

• Colombia, Bucaramanga

• Colombia, Cartagena

• Colombia, Cucuta

• Colombia, Medellin

• Colombia, Cali

• Colombia, Ipiales

• Colombia, Riohacha

• Colombia, Santa Marta

• Costa Rica, San Jose

• Curacao, Willemstad

• Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo

• Ecuador, Guayaquil

• Ecuador, Quito

• France, Paris

• Guatemala, Guatemala City

• Great Britain, London

• Ireland, Dublin

• Israel, Tel Aviv

• Italy, Milan

• Italy, Naples

• Italy rome

• Italy, Palermo

• Mexico, Mexico City

• Mexico, Monterrey

• Mexico, Guadalajara

• Norway, Oslo

• Panama, Panama

• Paraguay, Asuncion

• Peru, Lima

• Peru, Arequipa

• Peru, Trujillo

• Portugal, Funchal

• Portugal Lisbon

• Portugal, Porto

• Spain, Barcelona

• Spain, Bilbao

• Spain madrid

• Spain, Tenerife

• Spain, Vigo

• Spain, Valencia

• Spain, Malaga

• Spain, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

• Switzerland, Bern

• Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain

• Uruguay, Montevideo

• United States, Atlanta

• United States, Boston

• United States, Chicago

• United States, Houston

• United States, Dallas Fort Worth

• United States, Miami

• United States, Orlando

• United States, Tampa

• United States, New York and New Jersey

• United States, Puerto Rico

• United States, San Francisco

• United States, Los Angeles

• United States, Salt Lake City

• United States, Seattle

• United States, Washington

Irregularities
In December 2022, after accepting points discussed in the Mexico Dialogue, Nicolás Maduro lashed out at the Unitary Platform, accusing him of being coup plotters, kidnappers, interventionists, progringos, and terrorists. "They tried to assassinate me on several occasions." In addition to confessing that without the removal of sanctions there will be no free elections.

Application for Amparo Before the TSJ
On May 30, the government tried to infiltrate and sabotage internal opposition elections through the chavismo dissident group "Partido Acción Nacional Venezuela" PAN by introducing a "constitutional protection" in the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ). Luis Alejandro Ratti who presents himself on social networks as a dissident of Chavismo, general secretary of the Venezuela National Action Party (PAN Venezuela), preacher and lecturer, who were part of the Hugo Chávez National Bolivarian Front, which he headed in 2016. The president of The National Primary Commission (CP), Jesús María Casal, affirmed that Luis Ratti can come to collect his requirements to apply. He pointed out that as a Commission they have made an effort to make an "open, inclusive" project

Aggressions towards pre-candidates
A group of women identified with the ruling party insulted and physically attacked candidate Henrique Capriles during a walk in Santa Inés in the Rafael Urdaneta parish, in Carabobo state in an attempt to sabotage his campaign. His campaign has been constantly attacked in a sarcastic tone by Diosdado Cabello On May 18, the first vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, asserted that Primero Justicia proposed returning control of Citgo to the Nicolás Maduro regime in exchange for Capriles being authorized to participate in the elections of 2024."'Diosdado Cabello has a personal fixation with me, he is a very dark character, and he pays for all his frustrations with the democratic opposition that wants changes in the country. That is every week. Of course, but when you see that some respectable people, They echo what Diosdado Cabello says, listen, you have to set an alarm and not stay silent, and not let the lie spread,' Capriles said."In Tinaquillo, Cojedes state, a group of pro-government women tried to attack the candidate for Vente Venezuela in the primary elections, María Corina Machado. But the attackers did not achieve her mission due to the protection offered by her supporters and custodians. Criminal lawyer and human rights specialist Tamara Sujú denounced that political prisoners for the Gedeon operation are extorted to incriminate María Corina Machado in an alleged insurrection.

Resignation of official rectors
The surprise resignation of two main rectors Pedro Calzadilla and Alexis Corredor; and six substitutes Carlos Quintero, Gustavo Vizcaíno, Saúl Bernal, Leonel Párica, Rafael Chacón and Francisco Garcés from the CNE, which had been working with four main rectors, motivated by the resignation in April 2022 of Tania Díaz. Parliament issued a bulletin that will convene a Nominations Committee for new appointments that will take at least three months to select. The rectors' resignation occurs almost four months after the Venezuelan opposition holds a primary election to define the presidential candidate. Rectors Roberto Picón and Enrique Márquez, main rectors considered to be in the opposition and their substitutes, did not resign their positions. The resignation comes just two weeks after the Venezuelan opposition electoral commission expressed its intention to request technical assistance from the CNE for its primary process. In the voice of the deputy Francisco Ameliach in the National Assembly, it was discussed that all the rectors should resign, however the National Commission of Primaries decided to continue its program without the technical support of the CNE.

On June 23, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned of the risk posed to the holding of free and fair presidential elections scheduled for 2024 after wanting to replace the fifteen main members of the CNE in the National Assembly after the resignation of eight of its members.

Attempts to disable candidates
On June 24, 2023, 28 former presidents denounced that Maduro wants to block the primaries. During the period of the last week of June for claims against registered candidates, the scorpion deputy José Brito introduces a request to the Comptroller General of the Republic to report on the political status of María Corina Machado, that the Comptroller General of the Republic responds in a five-page circular without legal support that disqualified María Corina Machado from holding public office for 15 years, counted from 2015 and that it was not signed by the comptroller Elvis Amoroso.

The Unitaria platform unanimously rejected the disqualification of María Corina Machado, ratified its commitment to the "construction of unity" and to continue with the process of primary elections. The united primary candidates also rejected the decision made against María Corina Machado. "'From the Democratic Unitary Platform, unanimously, we reject the unconstitutional disqualification against disqualification against Maria Corina Machado @MariaCorinaYA, which is a clear violation of the political rights of Venezuelans'."According to a report by Juan José Caldera in 2007, political disqualification is necessarily linked in its application to a principal sentence of imprisonment or imprisonment. The administrative disqualification according to article 105 of the Organic Law of the Comptroller General of the Republic and the National Fiscal Control System, applies to public officials sanctioned in the exercise of their duties without pay for a period not exceeding twenty-four ( 24) months or the dismissal of the person declared responsible, whose execution will be in charge of the highest authority; and impose, based on the seriousness of the irregularity committed, their disqualification from the exercise of public functions for up to a maximum of fifteen (15) years. which was not the case of María Corina Machado when she was removed from office in 2014.

Withdrawn candidates

 * Juan Pablo Guanipa (Justice First): First Vice President of the National Assembly (2020-2021), elected governor of Zulia in 2017, deputy to the National Assembly for the State Zulia (2016-2021), councilor of the Maracaibo municipality (2005-2013 ), Deputy Alternate to the National Assembly for the State Zulia (2001-2006) and deputy to the Legislative Assembly of the Zulia State for Maracaibo (1993-1996).
 * Carlos Ocariz (Justice First): Mayor of the Municipality Sucre (2008-2017) and Deputy To the National Assembly for the Miranda State (2001-2006).
 * Juan Guaidó (Popular Will): President of Venezuela (2019-2023) President of the National Assembly (2019-2021), deputy to the National Assembly by constituency 1 of the Vargas State (2016-2021), substitute deputy to the National Assembly By the Vargas state (2011-2016).
 * Benjamín Rausseo (Independent): Presidential candidate in 2006, and candidate for governor of the Anzoátegui state in 2008.

Declined to be candidates

 * Henri Falcón (future), governor of the state Lara (2008-2017), mayor of the Iribarren municipality (2000-2008) and Constituent (1999).
 * Manuel Rosales (a new time): Governor of the State Zulia (2000-2008; since 2021), mayor of the Maracaibo municipality (1995-2000; 2008-2009), deputy to the Legislative Assembly of the State Zulia (1986-1995) and councilor of the municipality Colón (1979-1982).