Following Sunday’s elections in Venezuela, MEPs from the European People’s Party and European Conservatives and Reformists groups who observed the mission, expressed doubts about the standards of the election.

Following Sunday’s elections in Venezuela, MEPs from the European People’s Party and European Conservatives and Reformists groups who observed the mission, expressed doubts about the standards of the election. They were invited by the Democratic Union Bureau to observe the elections.

Edvard Kozusnik MEP, from the ECR and Augustin Diaz de Mera Garcia Consuegra and Gabriel Mato Adrover from the EPP group issued the following communication:

“We congratulate the people of Venezuela for their civic and democratic maturity on the election Sunday.

“The election results announced by the CNE (National Election Council) show deep division inside Venezuelan society. We appeal for the establishment of dialogue, in the spirit of moderation and reconciliation. Every citizen of the country needs to be made to feel part of it.

“Our mission found some deficiencies and irregularities in the poll, which were later denounced by opposition candidate Henrique Capriles.

“The use and abuse of institutions and public resources in favour of one political option were very present during the campaign and certainly influenced the final election result. This, despite such bias clearly being forbidden by the Constitution and electoral laws.

“We share the request made by Henrique Capriles that polling places must be subject to a full audit and verification process.

“From our observations, we have doubts that Venezuela has met international standards of democratic electoral processes.”