Venezuela's Maduro bans opposition parties from future elections

[GatoGordo]

Venezuela's Maduro bans opposition parties from presidential vote

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro announced Sunday that leading opposition parties will be barred from taking part in next year's presidential vote after they boycotted mayoral polls, in a move set to further consolidate his grip on power.

That includes the groups of key figures who have led street protests against his rule such as Henrique Capriles, Leopoldo Lopez and others, Maduro told reporters after casting his vote in the municipal polls.

"That's what the National Constituent Assembly set out," he said, referring to a controversial Maduro-allied special powers legislature whose legitimacy has been questioned by many in the international community.

"If they don't want elections, what are they doing? What's the alternative? (Civil) war?" the president asked, visibly angry.

While municipal elections were under way across the country, the Maduro clearly had his mind on the 2018 presidential race in which he plans to seek reelection -- despite an approval rating of around 30 percent.

Crisis-weary voters meanwhile appeared to be staying away in droves from mayoral elections that the opposition is already boycotting.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/venezuelas-maduro-bans-opposition-parties-from-presidential-vote/ar-BBGyTE2

The National Constituent Assembly is the handpicked Chavista body selected by the PSUV leadership to re-write the Constitution. Instead of busying themselves with that task and putting it to the voters, they have simply decided to replace the valid elected body (National Assembly) and give Maduro dictator powers.

[DetlefK]

1. Can we NOW call it a coup?

A handpicked Supreme Court?
A handpicked commission replacing the democratically elected parliament?
Excluding the opposition from elections?

[GatoGordo]

2. Maduro should just proclaim himself Emperor and be done with the farce.

Why even bother anymore?

A betting man would put good money on the prospect that Maduro will hold very early "elections" (next month?), as his hold is tenuous (he has no more money for imports), and most doubt that his "presidency" will last until next December, when presidential elections are scheduled.

That doesn't bother him, though. The TSJ and the CNE will allow any deviation from the Constitution, as long as it serves Chavismo. They already nullified a recall, cancelled/delayed elections, prohibited candidates from running for office and jailed others, allowed for a Constitutional Convention (the ANC) to ashcan the Constitution, nullified the National Assembly, refused the least bit of election transparency, and given the entire country over to the Chavista/Cuban led military. (they control both oil and food now)... all under the name of democracy.

They have turned the corner, and it is absurd to think that they might turn it around. The Chavistas really only care about staying in power.

[DetlefK]

3. Then we know how this will end:

- There will be simmering unrest.

- Some minor incident will serve as a catalyst and the venezuelan people will stage massive protests, calling on Maduro to finally solve the crisis.

- Maduro will hold a major speech, announcing that he has the solution... and then it will become clear that he doesn't understand what's going on, why these people are protesting.

- The protests turn into Maidan-style warfare in the streets.

- Russia and China will prevent any outside intervention. Intervention from the US will be preemptively derided as the US supporting a coup.

- Maduro cracks down, turning Venezuela into a full-blown military-dictatorship.

- Venezuela's economy collapses for good.

[GatoGordo]

4. And the obligatory descent into chaos and bloodbath...

... as Venezuela turns into 1970's/80's Nicaragua.

I did get a good chuckle out of, "Maduro will hold a major speech, announcing that he has the solution."

Hahaha... that is every weekend, during his cadenas, "Sundays with Maduro". Always some conspiracy afoot to throw a monkey wrench in the otherwise fool-proof plans of Maduro, and ONLY Chavismo has the next NEW answer... in the form of a new law, new committee or new, temporary (fill in the blank) hardship that El Pueblo needs to endure so that the Bolivarian Revolution rolls on. The new crypto-currency was a laugher!

FWIW, China won't intervene. They took Maduro to US court last week due to unpaid bills. Maduro's only friend is Putin right now, and even he is getting tired of the kleptocracy. The only reason they have anything to do with Venezuela is to stick it to the United States in their own backyard. Putin knows damn well he ain't getting repaid. Even Rosneft is smart enough to cut their losses.