Members of the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) went to the polls to select the candidates who will compete in the party's primary elections. The parliamentary elections are to be held in the second half of the year, with 165 seats up for grabs, and will be a key test of popular support for President Nicolas Maduro's government. Members of the PSUV, the country's largest party, lauded the grass roots democratic decision making process to select its candidates.