Jimmy Carter presents Venezuela elections plan

www.duluthsuperior.com Posted on Tue, Jan. 21, 2003 BY PASCAL FLETCHER Reuters

CARACAS, Venezuela - Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter on Tuesday presented to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his foes a plan for elections to break the political deadlock gripping the world's fifth largest oil exporter.

The former U.S. president said after talks with the left-wing leader in Caracas his blueprint foresaw an end to the crippling seven-week-old opposition strike that has slashed supply from South America's biggest oil producer.

The strike, launched by opposition leaders to press Chavez to resign and hold early elections, has jolted oil markets and threatened to bankrupt Venezuela's oil-reliant economy.

The bolivar currency tumbled 5.1 percent against the U.S. dollar Tuesday. Moody's Investors Service cut Venezuela's foreign currency debt ratings, sinking the country deeper into junk bond territory because of uncertainty over the strike.

Chavez, who was elected in 1998 and survived a brief coup last year, says he is beating the strike, which is causing shortages of gasoline, cooking gas and some food items.

Carter, who has made a career of trying to solve world conflicts, traveled to Caracas to throw his weight behind international efforts to end the Venezuelan crisis.

"Both sides now want to reach an agreement to end the impasse," Carter told a news conference before flying home.

His plan comprises two independent alternatives.

One proposes an amendment to Venezuela's constitution that would allow early elections. The other is for the country to wait until Aug. 19 -- halfway through Chavez's term -- when the constitution allows for a binding referendum on the president's mandate, which is due to end in early 2007.

OPPOSITION CAUTIOUS

Chavez told reporters after meeting Carter he was willing to accept a constitutional amendment if it followed established legal procedures. An amendment, which must be proposed by 15 percent of the electorate and be approved in a national vote, could shorten his mandate to allow early elections or bring forward the August referendum on his rule.

"I don't reject any of these possibilities, but the opposition must comply with the constitution," Chavez said.

Opposition leaders reacted cautiously. "We are open to all formulas to bring forward elections," opposition negotiator Americo Martin told Reuters. But he added the nature of the constitutional amendment needed to be clearly defined.

Anti-Chavez union boss and strike leader Carlos Ortega said the opposition would carefully evaluate any proposal for the constitution to be altered.

More than two months of talks brokered by Organization of American States Secretary-General Cesar Gaviria have failed to produce a deal on elections. The negotiations Tuesday were expected to consider the Carter proposals.

Carter said both sides would have to agree on one of his proposed alternatives. "I think this is a step in a positive direction, but certainly not a definitive answer," he said.

The opposition has been demanding immediate elections, arguing the country cannot wait until the August referendum.

The president, who himself staged a botched coup bid in 1992, has accused his opponents of trying to overthrow him.

Chavez, who purged the armed forces of opponents after the April coup, has sent troops to take over strike-hit oil installations and also to raid private factories and warehouses the government alleges are hoarding food supplies.

The oil shutdown showed signs of weakening on Tuesday when oil tanker pilots in western Lake Maracaibo went back to work.

Since the strike began Dec 2, at least six people have been killed and dozens wounded in shootings and street clashes involving followers and foes of Chavez, troops and police.