UN Secretary-General António Guterres has commended the people of Venezuela “for their determination to express their will peacefully through the ballot box,” his Spokesperson said on Monday.

Following hours of delays, incumbent Nicolás Maduro was formally declared winner of the disputed presidential election held on Sunday, securing a third term in office.

“We have taken note of the announcement made by the electoral authorities as well as the concerns expressed by political actors and members of the international community,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.

Appeal for moderation

“The Secretary-General calls for complete transparency and encourages the timely publication of the election results and a breakdown by polling stations,” he said.

“The Secretary-General trusts that all electoral disputes will be addressed and resolved peacefully and calls on all Venezuelan political leaders and their supporters for moderation,” he added.

Furthermore, the UN chief “recalls that electoral authorities should undertake their work independently and without interference to guarantee the free expression of the will of the electorate.”   

UN expert panel

Reporters also asked Mr. Dujarric about the UN Panel of Electoral Experts deployed to Venezuela ahead of the vote who will produce an independent internal report for the Secretary-General on the overall conduct of the elections.

He said the Panel travelled to the country earlier this month and it is assumed that they will report to the Secretary-General at some point during the coming week.

A Panel of Electoral Experts is among the various types of electoral assistance that the UN may provide to Member States at their request. Unlike UN electoral observation missions, which are extremely rare and require a specific mandate by the Security Council or the General Assembly, these Panels do not issue public statements on the overall conduct of electoral processes or their results.