On October 29, the National Assembly of Venezuela (AN) began the process of setting up the Nominations Committee that will appoint the new members of the National Electoral Council (CNE). The initiative is part of a six-point agreement signed by representatives of the ruling party with members of the opposition not allied to Juan Guaidó on 16 September. Meanwhile, Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) said it will support the appointment of the committee as long as Guaidó resigns as president of the NA. It is expected that next November 5, the candidates to appoint the authorities of the CNE will be presented.

“Today we begin a process to give Venezuela the free elections and democratic institutions it deserves,” Guaidó said. On the other hand, Dep. Jesus Montilla (PSUV – ruling party) said that Juan Guaidó must resign as president of the NA in order for the acts of this institution to be considered legal. This is due to the fact that the NA has been in contempt of court since 2017, following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ).

The six-point agreement signed on September 16 foresees, among other issues, the return of the parliamentary coalition of the PSUV and its allies to the NA, the negotiation of new members to stand on the CNE and re-opening the TSJ’s cases of people deemed to have been illegitimately detained.