A historic voting is to begin in Venezuela shortly, to elect a new assembly delegated with powers to rewrite the present Constitution. The government says a new constituent assembly is the only way to restore peace to the country after months of violent protests. And the opposition, not buying this argument, have announced to boycott the vote, they blame it is a power grab by President Nicolas Maduro. According to BBC, more than six thousand candidates are contesting for the 545-member constituent assembly, none are from the opposition. This new assembly will have the required power to bypass the National Assembly, currently controlled by an alliance of opposition parties. Neighboring Colombia has said it will not recognize the constituent assembly. France, Spain, the US and the EU have also urged the government to cancel the vote. In a speech broadcast on TV, President Maduro predicted a "big victory", calling the vote "the most important election held in Vene...
Shiva Shankar Pandian