Venezuela's largest opposition party, Democratic Action, has pulled out of Sunday's parliamentary elections, saying the electoral council is biased.
Party leader Henry Ramos Tuesday said election officials favor President Hugo Chavez and cannot be trusted to provide a fair vote. He denied accusations that the opposition is acting in the interests of the U.S. government.
Other opposition parties are also said to be considering pulling out of the election.
Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel has denied the accusations and insists the elections will be fair.
Electoral officials said this week they will remove fingerprinting machines at polling stations, after opposition leaders suggested they could compromise voter privacy.
Some information for this report provided by AP, Bloomberg and Reuters.