POLITICAL SYSTEM OF

VENEZUELA
BY GROUP 2
POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

Venezuela is a federal State divided into states, which are divided

into autónomos (autonomous governments).The country is
comprised of 335 municipalities (incorporated into 23 states and
the Capital District), which are divided into parishes.
Municipalities constitute the basic political unit of the country.
They possess full legal capacity and autonomy, within the limits
established by the Constitution and the law.
 MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

Municipal government and administration are entrusted to a mayor,

who also serves as the highest local civil authority (Article 174,
Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela). Legislative
functions are entrusted to a municipal council comprised of
councilpersons elected in accordance with the Constitution. The
number of members comprising a municipal council and the
eligibility requirements they must meet are established by law
(Article 175, Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela).
DURATION OF TERMS

Mayors serve four-year terms, and may be re-elected for

a single consecutive term (Article 174, Constitution of
the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela). Councilpersons
serve four-year terms (Article 2, Electoral Statute).
REPRESENTATION SYSTEM

Majority / relative majority electoral system. Mayors are

elected by majority of votes (Article 174, Constitution of
the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela). Councilpersons
are elected through a system entitled Personal
Proportional Representation.
ELECTORAL CONSTITUENCY

Mayors are chosen by uninominal constituency. Two

types of constituency apply for councilpersons. One is
municipal (based on the country’s political and
territorial organization), and is used to calculate
proportional representation. The other (or others) is/are
nominal; its/their number depends on the number of
seats open to election by majority.
QUOTA AND PARITY LAWS

Resolution on congressional elections for the year 2008

stipulates 50%.
LEGAL INSTRUMENTS APPLICABLE TO
MUNICIPALITIES

Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela;

Organic Municipal Law; Community Councils Law.
 ELECTORAL JUSTICE

The National Electoral Court (Spanish: Corte Nacional Electoral) was

the government-appointed court which oversaw elections and electoral
results at all levels of Bolivian government from 1956 to 2010, and
supervised nine Departmental Electoral Courts in each department. It
was founded in February 1956 to organize the national elections of that
year, and acted as the supervising body of all elections until it was
replaced in August 2010 by the Plurinational Electoral Organ, a fourth
branch of government headed by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.