Special envoy Yunus Soner offers the latest updates on the preparations for the upcoming presidential elections, with the Carter Center delegation’s arrival as it’ll act as observers during the elections and the auditing of the voting machines that will be used during the election in the entire Venezuelan territory. teleSUR
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00:00And in Venezuela, the electoral race is entering its final moments.
00:05Let's go with our special envoy, Yunus Öner, for the latest details.
00:10Hello, good evening Ana.
00:13Can you hear me?
00:14Yes, Yunus, I can hear you.
00:15Good evening from...
00:16Very well.
00:17Good evening from Carabcas, Venezuela.
00:22Today, the Minister of Defense of Venezuela has received a delegation of the Carter Center
00:30in the ministry.
00:31The delegation comprised of eight members, headed by Jean Lincoln, and she is the superior
00:40advisor for the Latin American and the Caribbean.
00:44The minister received them in his ministry with the warmest words.
00:49He said he was very happy to receive them as they were invited by the National Election
00:54Council, and he explained to the delegation how the process is continuing, and specifically
01:01the so-called Republic Plan.
01:04The Republic Plan means that the armed forces, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces of Venezuela
01:11take care of the security before, during, and after the elections.
01:17That means they safeguard the voting machines, they watch over the election centers, they
01:24protect the citizens while they're on the way to the election centers, and after the
01:30election, they also take care of the machines when they are being transferred to the National
01:35Election Council.
01:36So this is called the Republic Plan, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers are being deployed
01:43to realize this Republic Plan.
01:47And that will happen mainly on July 24, announced the minister, when the official deployment
01:53starts, I think with a parade that will take place here in Caracas to, like, finally announce
01:59the final stage of the elections.
02:03The delegation of the Carter Center was informed about this plan.
02:08Remember, the Carter Center has a long history of assisting elections here in Venezuela.
02:14That started in 1998, and since then, the center has joined seven different elections
02:21or referendums here in Venezuela, and it has been known always for providing quite objective
02:27reports.
02:28For instance, despite general anti-Venezuelan propaganda, the Carter Center in 2006 acknowledged
02:35in a public report how safe and trustable the electronic voting system was.
02:43And in 2012, the center also published a report stating an increasing confidence by the citizens
02:50into this election system generally.
02:53That's why the National Election Council has welcomed, has invited them, actually, to join
03:00the elections on July 28 as international watchers.
03:05So they were provided today with details of how this Republic Plan works.
03:10They will visit other institutions as well.
03:13They will also meet with political actors.
03:16And the minister, that's something I think noteworthy.
03:19The minister also described to them how the atmosphere here is.
03:22I heard him stating that the atmosphere is full of joy, it's full of enthusiasm, and
03:29his ministry is actually looking very much forward to execute this Republic Plan.
03:34He repeatedly said that the armed forces love to take part in this plan.
03:40He emphasized that it is a civic plan, that the National Election Council has the lead,
03:47has the command on this, that they execute the plan below their command, but that the
03:53army loves to assist the voting process.
03:56And he also emphasized that they welcome the elections with a democratic mood, and actually
04:02they would love even to have more elections, the minister said, as elections are a way
04:08that the people of Venezuela express their political will, decide on their government.
04:14And that is something, he said, that moves the society away from violence.
04:19That was quite noteworthy, that the minister of defense really displayed joy and enthusiasm
04:30for the upcoming elections, and of course, he would call anyone to vote there, his counterparts
04:38were foreigners, so there were no votes in that reunion at that time.
04:42But to underline it, the meeting seems to have been productive.
04:46The Carter Center members have not held a press conference afterwards.
04:50They just left the meeting after one and a half hours approximately, and will continue
04:55their contacts.
04:57Thank you very much, Yunus, for all your remarks ahead of the presidential elections on July the 28th.