MSJ supports Sunday's elections in Venezuela

Theleader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), David Abdulah, said on Friday that the Venezuelan electoral system is the best in the world, even more rigorous than that of TT.

Abdulah, with other MSJ executive members, spoke to the media as he delivered a document to the Venezuelan embassy on Victoria Avenue in Port of Spain, in support of the parliamentary elections to be held there this Sunday.

"I would say that the electoral process in Venezuela is the best in the world, and nothing has changed to make people affirm today that the electoral process is flawed," he said.

Abdulah was received by Venezuelan ambassador Carlos Amador Pérez and his team.

He rejected the view of various countries and organisations that the elections were the illegal.

“False claims have been raised that the process will not be free and fair, in particular the US, from the OAS and its Secretary General Luis Almagro, the European Union – all have condemned the elections even before a single vote has been cast," he said.

Abdulah recalled that he was personally present at the governor's elections in Venezuela in 2017.

"I was able to see the Venezuelan electoral system, take a close look at the technology, we visited a large number of schools and we could see the line of people. There was no intimidation," he said.

Abdulah said the Venezuelan electoral system,“is actually more rigorous than the system in TT, because the identification of people was not done simply by looking at their identification card, but also by fingerprint. I think I have clearly heard that it cannot be played. Someone could break in with someone else's ID card and get away with it, but it was not on (the basis of) their ID card alone, but also a fingerprint."

The MSJ supports the government of Nicolas Maduro, who is recognised by the UN and Caricom, Abdulah said.

Venezuela will hold elections this Sunday to elect 277 national deputies, 90 more than in the current Congress. A total of 20,710,421 Venezuelans are eligible to vote.

Currently, the Congress is in the hands of those opposed to Maduro. Most of its leaders have decided not to participate in these elections, calling them fraudulent.