Caracas, Feb 8 (IANS): Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) has announced that the country's presidential election will be held on April 22.

The announcement on Wednesday is in accordance of the ruling National Constituent Assembly's (ANC) decision in January to move up the presidential election before the April 30 deadline, reports Xinhua news agency.

President Nicolas Maduro will be running for re-election as the United Socialist Party's (PSUV) candidate.

On February 3, Maduro had urged the CNE to set an election date "without delay".

He also reiterated that the country will hold the election "with or without" the participation of the right-wing opposition, which boycotted last year's polls to elect members of the ANC.

The move backfired, with millions of Venezuelans going to the polls despite the opposition's campaign to keep voters away.

The presidential election was set to take place in December 2018, but the ruling socialist party feared that external support for the right-wing opposition coalition could strengthen the anti-government movement over the coming months.