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AFP
Caracas
Venezuelans headed to the polls Sunday for mayoral elections that the opposition is boycotting amid an economic crisis, giving President Nicolas Maduro's party a clear path to victory.
A few hours after polling stations were supposed to open, 98 percent of the 14,000 facilities were up and running, according to the National Election Council (CNE). Turnout appeared to be light.
The main opposition parties are staying away, saying the vote lacks any guarantees of fairness or transparency as voters pick 335 mayors across the country.
These are the last elections before presidential voting scheduled for late next year, in which Maduro says he will seek another term. Some analysts think they will be moved up to the early months of 2018.
The lack of a serious challenge Sunday to Maduro-aligned candidates has led to skepticism in the main cities of Caracas, Maracaibo and San Cristobal.
"I'm not going to vote because I don't believe in the transparency of the CNE," said Nerver Huerta, a 38-year-old graphic designer in Caracas.
Maduro's ruling socialist party will be aided by the refusal of the three main parties in the opposition coalition Democratic Union Roundtable (MUD) to participate, although smaller parties have decided to contest the election.
