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Venezuelan parliament refuses recognize results of election to Constitutional Assembly

The oppositionist coalition Mesa de la Unidad Democratica (MUD, the Democratic Unity Roundtable) passed a resolution on the issue unanimously

MOSCOW, August 1. /TASS/. Venezuela's unicameral parliament, which is controlled by the opposition, has refused to recognize the results of Sunday's voting for the Constitutional Assembly. The oppositionist coalition Mesa de la Unidad Democratica (MUD, the Democratic Unity Roundtable) passed a resolution on the issue unanimously.

A total of three deputies of the pro-presidential party joined the opposition and voted for the resolution.

"The resolution on non-recognition of the July 30 swindle voting and of the plans to revise the 1999 Constitution was adopted unanimously," the parliament twittered.

The National Election Council said the turnout of registered voters at the polls totalled 41.53% or slightly more than 8 million people but the opposition alleges that only around 3 million people came to the polls.

The decision on convening the Constitutional Assembly without a prior referendum, which President Nicolas Maduro announced in May, brought a sharp deterioration of tensions in the country that had been in the grips of anti-government riots for almost a month by that time.

More than 120 persons have died to date in the course of riots and demonstrations organized by the opposition. Thousands more people received injuries.

The authorities arrested about 4,900 participants in the antigovernment protests. As many as almost 1,400 individuals of that number remain in custody.

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