Venezuela May Hold Constituent Assembly Elections in July - Electoral Council

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) — According to Lucena, Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) has decided to hold the National Constituent Assembly elections in late July, while regional elections are scheduled to take place in December.

"In meeting: CNE's board of directors approved the schedule to elect the Constituents at the end of July. Regional elections of governors and mayors are scheduled for December 10, 2017," Lucena wrote on Twitter.

​

Earlier in May, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced his decision to convene the National Constituent Assembly, which has the power to re-draft the current constitution. The decision sparked further opposition protests following a month of anti-Maduro demonstrations initiated by the Supreme Court’s decision to restrict the power of the state’s National Assembly which was subsequently canceled.

According to the Venezuelan constitution, the Venezuelan people are the source of power, which can be exercised through the National Constituent Assembly. The Assembly, which, according to Maduro, will be comprised of 500 representatives, has the power to change the system of the government or draw up a new constitution, and neither the president nor other existing constituted authorities, including the parliament currently controlled by the opposition, can object against it. The last time a National Constituent Assembly was convened in 1999.