Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has cast his vote for a constitutional super-body expected to hand sweeping new powers to ruling Socialist Party officials and potentially extend their unpopular rule in the convulsed OPEC nation. <br /><br />Critics say the assembly will allow Maduro to rewrite electoral rules to prevent the socialists from being voted out.<br />This comes after four months of opposition protests during which more than 115 people have been killed.<br /><br />Maduro played down the tensions within the country,<br /><br />“We have stood strong during this global campaign and we have stood strong when dealing with the terrorist and criminal violence and here we are, a country at peace.” <br /><br />Opposition parties are boycotting what they call a rigged election while their sympathisers plan demonstrations across the country during the day – raising the prospect of violent clashes with security forces.<br /><br />The vote, which follows the postponement of regional elections and Maduro’s repeated refusal to heed decisions by Congress, has brought global condemnation.<br />
