Venezuela’s regional elections, originally scheduled for December 2016, will now be held in 2017, National Electoral Council President Tibisay Lucena said Oct. 19, Panorama reported. Regional election primaries will be held in March and April, followed by the elections themselves by June. Municipal elections will then take place at the end of the year. This delay suggests that the referendum on whether to recall President Nicolas Maduro may be held at the start of 2017. Postponing the regional elections could allow governors to distance themselves from the highly unpopular president before making a bid for reelection — a strategy that might help preserve the hold on power of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Although many PSUV governors blame Maduro for their waning support, they would rather protect their positions — and that of the party — by postponing the elections and the recall referendum.