At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Venezuela

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.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government. The president is elected by popular vote to serve a 6-year term which is renewable once.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 6-year term.
• In the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional), 65 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms, 68 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms, 31 members are elected by plurality vote in multi-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 3 members are reserved to serve 5-year terms.***

*** 65 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system and 99 by plurality vote in single- and multi-member constituencies (68 in single-member and 31 in multi-member constituencies). Three seats are reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela. All members serve 5-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Hugo CHÁVEZ Frias*
  • Party: Fifth Republic Movement / Movimiento Quinta República (MVR)
• Manuel ROSALES**
  • Party: A New Era / Un Nuevo Tiempo
• Luis REYES
  • Party: Joven
• Venezuela DA SILVA
  • Party: New Social Order / Nuevo Orden Social (NOS)
• Carmelo ROMANO Pérez
  • Party: Liberal United People Movement / Movimiento Liberal Pueblo Unido (MLPU)
• Alejandro SUÁREZ
  • Party: Movimiento Sentir Nacional
• Eudes VERA
  • Party: Independent candidate
• Carolina CONTRERAS
  • Party: Independent candidate
• Pedro ARANGUREN
  • Party: Movimiento Conciencia de País
• José TINEO
  • Party: Venezuelan Third Millennium National Party / Nacional Venezuela Tercer Milenio (VTM)
• Yudith SALAZAR
  • Party: Hijos de la Patria (HP)
• Angel IRIGOYEN
  • Party: Let Us Break Chains / Rompamos Cadenas (RC)
• Homer RODRÍGUEZ
  • Party: For Love of Venezuela / Por Querer a Venezuela
• Isbelia LEÓN
  • Party: Strength and Peace Institution / Fuerza y Paz (IFP)

* In addition to MVR, Hugo CHÁVEZ enjoyed the support of 24 other parties.
** In addition to 'A New Era' party, Manuel ROSALES enjoyed the support of 43 other parties in this election.

Last Presidential election:

• Presidential elections were last held on 30 July 2000. Hugo CHAVEZ Frias was reelected president with 59.5% of the vote. He was followed by Francisco ARIAS with 37.5% and Claudio FERMIN with 3%.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 25,730,435 (July 2006 est,)
• Registered Voters: 15,921,223 (November 2006 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 13,603,432 (2006)

·         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: 3,859,565 (est.)