p ast - the - post , ▁the ▁system ▁in ▁ 8 7 ▁elect oral ▁districts , ▁ 5 2 ▁elected ▁on ▁a ▁party ▁list ▁system ▁( two ▁or ▁three ▁deput ies ▁per ▁state ▁of ▁Venezuela , ▁depending ▁on ▁population ), ▁and ▁ 3 ▁seats ▁were ▁reserved ▁for ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les , ▁with ▁separate ▁rules . ▁ ▁Additionally , ▁ 1 2 ▁represent atives ▁were ▁chosen ▁for ▁the ▁Latin ▁American ▁Parliament . ▁ ▁There ▁was ▁initially ▁a ▁dispute ▁between ▁al li ances ▁that ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁election ▁as ▁to ▁which ▁al liance ▁received ▁a ▁pl ur ality ▁of ▁votes . ▁Each ▁coal ition ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁inv ite ▁ 3 0 ▁foreign ▁officials ▁to ▁observe ▁the ▁elections . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Elect oral ▁changes ▁E lections ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly ▁of ▁Venezuela ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁were ▁conducted ▁under ▁a ▁weak ▁mixed ▁member ▁proportional ▁system , ▁with ▁ 6 0 % ▁elected ▁in ▁first - p ast - the - post ▁elect oral ▁districts ▁and ▁the ▁remainder ▁by ▁closed ▁party ▁list ▁proportional ▁representation . ▁This ▁was ▁an ▁adaptation ▁of ▁the ▁system ▁previously ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁Venez uel an ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Deput ies , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁with ▁a ▁ 5 0 - 5 0 ▁balance ▁between ▁voting ▁districts ▁and ▁party ▁lists , ▁and ▁deput ies ▁per ▁state ▁proportional ▁to ▁population , ▁but ▁with ▁a ▁minimum ▁of ▁three ▁deput ies ▁per ▁state .