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July 30th, 2017 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : The socialist party administration of President Nicolas Maduro is going ahead with the controversial Constituent Assembly elections on Sunday, July 30. The PSUV claims changing the Constitution adopted in 1999 under the late Hugo Chavez is necessary to consolidate the Bolivarian revolution. Opponents, including many traditional PSUV supporters, the MUD and civil society organization fear the move marks the end of democracy and a constitutional coup. The MUD boycotts the elections. The UN urges all parties to remain peaceful.
Warming up for the final act of democracy in Venezuela?
The days up to the controversial elections were marked by the first national strikes since 2002and at times violent protests. Protests erupted in April and have since then claimed more than 100 lives – with victims on all sides. However, the PSUV administration and President Nicolas Maduro insist that elections shall go ahead as scheduled, on Sunday, July 30. Protests have been banned and police and national guard are being deployed in force.
The Constituent Assembly would have the power to rewrite the 1999 Constitution adopted under the late Hugo Chavez. The Constituent Assembly would also have the power to shut down the already suspended legislative branch of government where the Roundtable of Democratic Unity (MUD) coalition holds an absolute majority. The National Assembly, however, has already been suspended by the Supreme Court. The Court ruled the legislative branch was “in contempt” and usurped the powers of the legislative branch. Moreover, the office of the Attorney General had its powers limited – raising criminal charges before the supreme court now requites “approval from a sitting (PSUV-appointed) judge. The administration has begun arresting MUD appointed judges and slammed Attorney General Ortega with a travel ban and asset freeze. Ortega described the Constituent Assembly as non-representative and corporatist.
On Sunday voters will be asked to cast ballots for a ‘constituent assembly’ whose 545 members will be charged with rewriting the constitution. Critics assert that only Maduro supporters are candidates, and that they could revise the constitution to keep him in office indefinitely. A more realistic assessment is that the election is an attempt to consolidate a semi-fascist one-party rule and the already established, PSUV-controlled National Security State.
The MUD denounces the election as fraudulent. MUD leaders as well as Workers’ organizations and a cohort of civil society organizations call on people to boycott elections and defy attempts to impose bans against protests and demonstrations. Opposition Congressman Freddy Guevara told reporters on Saturday, ‘This is for elections, for the freeing of political prisoners, for change.’ He warned that election day would not be the last of the protests. ‘From Monday,’ he said, ‘this crisis will deepen.’
The United Nations has said it is deeply concerned about the situation in Venezuela. Elisabeth Throssell, a spokeswoman for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters Friday in Geneva, ‘We hope that the poll scheduled for Sunday, if it goes ahead, will proceed peacefully and in full respect of human rights.’
CH/L – nsnbc 30.07.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/07/30/venezuela-goes-ahead-with-controversial-constituent-assembly-elections/
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