Three Venezuelan opposition parties, including major opposition party, Democratic Action, have pulled out of Sunday's parliamentary elections, saying the electoral council is biased.
Democratic Action 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.
The Project Venezuela and Copei parties also announced their withdrawal from the elections.
Opposition leaders have proposed postponing the vote until they can be assured of a free and fair 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 story provided by AP and AFP.
