Caracas, Venezuela, Dec 1, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Archbishop Roberto Luckert of Coro, Venezuela, has called for the postponement of this Sunday’s elections in order to clear up any doubt about electoral fraud and to guarantee transparency in the process.
Three opposition parties have already announced their withdrawal from the parliamentary elections, citing the lack of guarantees against voter fraud.
“The best thing would be for this process to be postponed, for corrective measures to be adopted and doubts be cleared up. Thus we will all be able to trust in the legal process,” the archbishop said.
Regarding the proposal by some voter awareness groups that people gather in churches to pray for the country, Archbishop Luckert said it was a “good idea” as long as “there is no intention to politicize such gatherings or proselytize inside the church.”
“The churches are going to be open, as they are every Sunday, for people to go and pray for peace and understanding,” he said.