Ruling party dominates disputed mayoral races
CARACAS, Venezuela — The nation’s ruling socialist party swept mayoral races in most of the state capitals and major cities in Sunday elections boycotted by several opposition parties, officials announced.
The ruling party won in 41 of 42 cities where a winner was declared, according to early official results. The opposition even lost in strongholds such as Maracaibo and the Caracas-area district of Sucre.
Around 47 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. That was down from 58 percent in municipal elections four years ago, as three of the four major opposition parties refused to field candidates because of irregularities and allegations of fraud in recent gubernatorial elections.
The election of mayors in all of Venezuela’s 335 municipalities was the last national balloting before next year’s presidential contest, in which socialist President Nicolas Maduro is expected to seek recrises election despite his plummeting popularity.
Various polling places appeared to be sparsely filled throughout Sunday, with only handfuls of people seen casting ballots.
The elections took place against a backdrop of soaring inflation, shortages of food and medicine, and charges that Maduro’s government has undermined Venezuela’s democracy by imprisoning dissidents and usurping the powers of the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
Economic and political have caused the president’s approval rating to plunge, although the opposition has been largely unable to capitalize on Maduro’s unpopularity.
Opposition candidates suffered a crushing defeat in October’s gubernatorial elections, winning just five of 23 races amid allegations of official votebuying and other irregularities.
Three of the four biggest opposition parties said they boycotted Sunday’s mayoral races in protest of what they called a rigged electoral system.