Venezuela Opens Nominations for Presidential Vote

Venezuela is now accepting candidate registrations for its April 22 presidential elections, but opposition politicians and the United States are rejecting the terms of the poll. Tania D’Amelio, an official of the National Electoral Council (CNE), said nominations would be accepted through Monday. The council will announce which nominations are accepted by Thursday, AFP reported. Opposition politicians have accused the CNE of being under the thumb of President Nicolas Maduro. The presidential elections, with Maduro seeking a new term that would keep him in office until 2025, are traditionally held in December. They were moved forward by the ruling Constituent Assembly, which is controlled by the governing party. Maduro called Wednesday for snap legislative elections for the National Assembly, proposing to bring them forward by nearly two years to coincide with the April 22 poll. And he hit back at the opposition MUD coalition, which had said it would not take part in the early elections without guarantees they would be free and fair.