The National Electoral Council

The National Electoral Council (CNE)is the head of one of the five branches of government of Venezuela under its 1999 constitution. It is the institution that has the responsibility of overseeing and guaranteeing the transparency of all elections and referendums in Venezuela at the local, regional, and national levels.

The creation of the CNE was ratified in Venezuela's 1999 constitutional referendum. Following the election of Nicolás Maduro into the presidency, the CNE has been described, by the president's opponents, as being pro-Maduro.

History

The CNE was preceded by the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE), which was established under an electoral law on September 11, 1936.[6] This entity was replaced by the CNE in 1997 with the passage of a new Organic Law of Suffrage and Participation.