Venezuela election board okays opposition recall push first phase

Venezuela’s national election council said on Monday the opposition had successfully collected 1 percent of voter signatures in all 24 states in the first phase of their push for a recall referendum to end President Nicolas Maduro’s term.

But council head Tibisay Lucena asked for a judicial probe into allegations of some voter identity fraud – a major complaint of the government – and did not name a date for the next phase, which would be to collect 20 percent of signatures.