Politics

Over the weekend and today, almost all of the candidates of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) registered for the upcoming November 23 state and regional elections in the National Electoral Council (CNE) office, many accompanied by large marches of their supporters.

Venezuela's Supreme Court issued a series of decisions Tuesday and Wednesday that validated the Comptroller General's ruling to temporarily disqualify nearly 300 opposition and pro-Chavez Venezuelans accused of corruption from holding public office.

On the final day of the 18-month period during which the Venezuelan National Assembly granted President Hugo Chávez the power to pass laws by decree, Chávez signed 26 new laws regulating the armed forces, public administration, social security system, banks, agricultural production, and the tourism industry.

Venezuelans on both sides of the country’s political divide await with bated breath an imminent decision of the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the Comptroller General’s disqualification of candidates for public office, due to accusations of corruption.

According to a yearly poll called “Iberobarómentro,” 54% of Venezuelans approved of the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's management of the country as of last May, and Venezuelans are optimistic about their economic future.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who is also the president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), gave a one-week ultimatum to the rest of the parties in the pro-Bolivarian Revolution coalition known as the Patriotic Alliance to decide whether they will unite behind PSUV candidates in the regional and local elections scheduled for November 23rd.

The President of the Venezuelan opposition party Un Nuevo Tiempo announced Tuesday that a coalition of opposition parties has selected unified candidates for governor in seven of Venezuela’s 23 states. However, only four of the nine parties in the coalition were present during the announcements, indicating internal strife.

Comptroller General Clodosbaldo Russián presented a revised list of people sanctioned for corruption during their terms in public office and who have been disqualified from running for office in the upcoming regional and local elections. According to Venezuela's largest newspaper, a majority of these are not opposition supporters.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez criticized allies in the Patriotic Alliance - a coalition of political parties which support the “Bolivarian Revolution” led by Chávez - for supporting candidates in the upcoming regional and local elections who will compete with PSUV candidates.

Venezuela's National Assembly dismissed what had become a highly politicized motion for the impeachment of two judges on the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice.