CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela's opposition coalition announced Wednesday that it will list candidates on a single ballot card in parliamentary elections, signalling a commitment to unity.

 

The Dec. 6 election is the opposition's best chance in years to win a legislative majority against the ruling socialist party.

 

Opposition coalition spokesman Jesus Torrealba said late Wednesday that the 29-party coalition would pursue a single strategy and run all candidates together on the same ballot card.

 

Coalition leaders are counting on the dissatisfaction that sent young people into the streets in 2014 to help them win at the polls. They hope to mount a recall against President Nicolas Maduro, but interparty squabbling has sometimes handicapped that effort.

 

The deepest fault lines run between hardliners who support massive street protests and frequently call on President Nicolas Maduro to resign, and more moderate leaders who favour a focus on gradual electoral change.

 

Hardline leaders called the sometimes bloody street protests in 2014 that sought unsuccessfully to force Maduro from office. Others coalition members called the protests a bad idea.

 

The divisions were recently on display when some opposition leaders supported a street protest, but the coalition as a whole did not. Some opposition members also disagreed about whether to hold open primaries for the Dec. 6 elections, or pre-select candidates. The coalition ultimately opted to pre-select most candidates, but also hold some primary contests.

 

The government in recent days has disqualified several opposition candidates from holding office, without saying why.

 

On Thursday, Torrealba said on his Twitter account that the moves against government critics were reason to fight and unify behind the coalition's candidates.

 

Also on Thursday, Venezuelan food officials rolled back an order that would have forced private companies to distribute food staples to a network of state-run supermarkets.

 

A food industry group earlier this week said federal authorities ordered producers of milk, pasta, oil and other goods to supply between 30 per cent and 100 per cent of their products to the state stores. Manufacturers said they warned the order could cause major supply problems.

 

Federal officials did not explain why the initial order was voided.