CARACAS: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday urged citizens taking part in a vote organized by the opposition the next day to do so 鈥減eacefully,鈥� as concerns simmered of worsening political violence.
Sunday鈥檚 polls are meant to gauge public support for Maduro鈥檚 plan to rewrite the constitution by electing a citizens鈥� body on July 30.
But with authorities refusing to greenlight Sunday鈥檚 vote and pro-Maduro supporters boycotting it, voters seemed set to reject the president鈥檚 scheme.
Likewise, the opposition has told its supporters to stay away from the July 30 election.
The cross-purpose initiatives have given rise to international worries 鈥� voiced by the Catholic Church and the head of the UN, Antonio Guterres 鈥� that the chances of bringing both sides together for dialogue has become more remote.
That, in turn, is stoking fears of more protests and running street battles with police, which have been persistent for the past three and a half months. Nearly 100 people have died in the unrest since the beginning of April.
While Maduro is deeply unpopular 鈥� with 80 percent of Venezuelans criticizing his rule, according to the Datanalisis survey firm 鈥� he enjoys backing from some, mostly poor, parts of the population and, most importantly, from the military.
Many Venezuelans, though, are less focused on the political powerplay than they are on getting by day by day under their country鈥檚 crushing economic crisis, which has meant shortages of food and medicine.
The opposition, which accuses Maduro of trying to gather dictatorial powers with the constitutional rewrite and other steps, said all was prepared for Sunday鈥檚 vote.
鈥淓verything is ready,鈥� one opposition figure, Maria Corina Machado, told AFP.
She predicted Sunday鈥檚 vote would 鈥渘ot only reject the Constituent Assembly鈥� 鈥� the body Maduro is seeking to have elected to come up with a new constitution 鈥� 鈥渂ut will give a mandate for a change of the regime, the end of the dictatorship and the start of a transition with a government of national unity.鈥�
But Maduro, giving a national radio and TV broadcast, portrayed the vote as merely an 鈥渋nternal consultation by the opposition parties鈥� with no electoral legitimacy.
鈥淚 call on all Venezuelans to participate peacefully in political events tomorrow, with respect for others鈥� ideas, with no incidents. Peace is what I ask,鈥� he said.
He directed his followers instead toward a rival poll exercise that, unlike that of the opposition, has been approved by electoral authorities: a dry-run simulation of the election to take place on July 30.
He also repeated claims the opposition was tied to foreign powers 鈥� implied to be the 鈥渋mperialist鈥� United States 鈥� with the aim of toppling his government.
The international media, he railed, was covering the opposition vote in a way to justify foreign intervention.
According to Datanalisis, 70 percent of Venezuelans reject Maduro鈥檚 idea of a Constituent Assembly.
An opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, said 鈥渨e鈥檙e expecting 62 percent turnout on Sunday 鈥� we could get 11 million people鈥� out of the country鈥檚 population of 30 million.
Five former Latin American presidents 鈥� from Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico and two from Costa Rica 鈥� were in Venezuela at the opposition鈥檚 invitation to act as observers of the vote, alongside electoral experts from various countries.
Former Mexican leader Vicente Fox said on arriving in Caracas that the vote could be the 鈥渂eginning of the end鈥� of Maduro鈥檚 government.
The head of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, called on Venezuelans to take part in Sunday鈥檚 vote 鈥渢o prevent the definitive collapse鈥� of the country鈥檚 institutions.
On Friday, UN Secretary General Guterres said talks were 鈥渦rgently鈥� needed between the opposition and government to stem the violence and find a 鈥渃onstitutional path鈥� to peace.
Sunday鈥檚 vote was being held in 2,000 polling stations across the country, and in 80 countries for Venezuelans abroad.
Maduro urges 鈥榩eaceful鈥� opposition vote in Venezuela
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