Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered a last-minute postponement of tomorrow's elections, ruling that the "reliability and transparency" of the electoral process was at risk due to technical flaws in the electronic ballot system.
The surprise announcement came after National Election Council members admitted at a court hearing they could not ensure a speedy, accurate and fair count. The court ordered all campaigning suspended until a new date is set by Congress.
Venezuela's "mega-elections" involve 35,000 candidates running for 6,000 posts, including the presidency, the governorships of all 23 states, a new national assembly and city councils. President Hugo Chavez, elected in December 1998, drew up a new constitution last year, requiring the "relegitimising" of the nation's democratic institutions.
The sheer scale of the elections defeated the 10-member National Election Council, which offered to resign over the delay. "I don't think we have ever seen anything so complex as this election" said Ms Jennifer McCoy, director of the US-based Carter Centre, which monitors elections.