At stake in this election:

• 167 seats in the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias
• Head of Government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias
• Assembly: Venezuela has a unicameral National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) with 167 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 6-year term.
• In the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional), 164 members are elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms and 3 members are reserved to serve 5-year terms.***

*** Seats are reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezula

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Fifth Republic Movement (MVR)
  • Leader: Hugo CHAVEZ FRIAS
  • Seats won in last election: 92
• Party: Justice First (PJ)
  • Leader: Julio BORGES
  • Seats won in last election: 5
• Party: Venezuela Project (PV)
  • Leader: Henrique SALAS ROMER
  • Seats won in last election: 6
• Party: Homeland for All (PPT)
  • Leader: Jose ALBORNOZ
  • Seats won in last election: 1
• Party: Democratic Action (AD)
  • Leader: Henry RAMOS ALLUP
  • Seats won in last election: 33

Population and Registered Voters:

• Population: 26,769,115 (2005)
• Registered Voters: 14,272,964 (2005)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 13,369,831 (2005)

·         Is Venezuela a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Venezuela ratified CEDAW: Yes (2 May 1983)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 29 (following the 2005 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 71 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Venezuela a signatory to CRPD: No

·         Has Venezuela ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (24 September 2013)

·         Population with a disability: 4,015,367 (est.)