Caracas, September 5, 2022 (Press MinComunas) – “In his tweet, President Nicolas Maduro sets out the route to move forward in this New Epoch. With direct democracy, the People’s Power must renew its entities and spokespersons to advance towards the Good Government”, tweeted on July 8 by the People’s Power Minister for Communes and Social Movements, Jorge Arreaza, through his account @jaarreaza.
This insistent political line during his administration responds to the instruction of the head of state to accelerate the democratization and renovation of the Communal Councils, issued on May 25 in a program of Productive Wednesday on the Engine of the Communal Economy.
During this program broadcasted from the Manuel Palacio Fajardo high school (23 de Enero parish, Caracas), the head of state also called for recapturing the assembly spirit to democratize in depth the popular organizations and apply the 3Rs.”Active resistance, communal rebirth, and revolutionize everything that needs a revolution.”
Maduro recalled that updating the spokespersons of the base structures of the People’s Power takes part of the first of two main tasks he assigned to Arreaza after he was appointed head of the Office of Communes on March 3 this year. The second line of work consists in promoting the Communes’ economic-productive character.
Around 5,000 Communal Councils entered the process for the adaptation and renewal of their spokespersons in the last months.
Two years and the possibility of reelection
According to Article 12 of the Organic Law of the Communal Councils, published in the Official Gazette on December 28, 2009, the spokespersons of the units that make up these work teams “will last two years in their functions, counted from the moment of their election and may be reelected.”
Among the conditions for nominated spokespersons, Article 15 provides that they must be Venezuelan, foreigner or resident foreigner, an inhabitant of the community with at least one year of residence. They must present the letter of nomination or written manifestation of the will, identifying name, surname, and identity card; be older than 15 years old; be registered in the electoral registry of the community, and can work collectively with willingness and time.
Likewise, the Law provides as requirements to aspire to communal spokesmanship to have a unitary spirit and commitment to the interests of the community; not to occupy positions of popular election; not to be subject to civil interdiction or political disqualification, nor to be required by judicial instances, among others.
Cesar Carrero, Vice Minister of the People’s Power Ministry for the Communes and Social Movements, responsible for organization and participation, explained that the renewal of the Communal Councils is simple. ” It elects its electoral commission. It makes the call and makes public the electoral schedule. The nomination phase opened for each one of the committees and work units. The nominees deliver their community development plan. Then, together with the CNE (National Electoral Council), they make their election process.”
He indicated that the elected spokesmen and spokeswomen must start their management by building their Solutions Map and Concrete Action Agenda. In coordination with the respective national, regional and municipal governments, they seek solutions to the needs present in their territory.
Automated registration
During a ceremony at the Poliedro de Caracas on May 20, President Nicolas Maduro announced the 1×10 Good Governance technological system launch. The Homeland Platform and the Ven App application support this system, which seeks to empower the people and government to solve their requirements for public services.
“It is the construction of a new system of technological and human connection to address the real problems of the people, prioritize them, and have a real-time response,” highlighted the head of state on the new method of governance.
As of June of this year, the Communal Councils registration process, the step that follows after the renewal of the spokesmanship, is 100% automated on the Ministry of Communes web page.
“The page www.comunas.gob.ve was created so they can scan their assembly minutes. They can fill in the voting results, put the names of the spokespersons, and right there the system gives them the certificate, their birth certificate, and they don’t have to wait in line,” President Maduro said during an act on June 1.
Minister Arreaza has emphasized that the regularization of the Communal Councils is a mandatory requirement to obtain project financing from the Federal Council of Government, Bicentenario Bank, or any other Venezuelan State entity.
