Opposition's "four million" signatures claim will take a month to validate

www.vheadline.com Posted: Monday, February 03, 2003 - 6:46:13 PM By: David Coleman

Opposition spinmeisters are claiming a PR coup d'etat in claims that four million signatures have been collected, demanding the immediate resignation of President Hugo Chavez Frias.  Although the signature campaign, called "El Firmazo" ... was conducted under highly-irregular circumstances, Sunday, and must still to be counted and verified against the official voters' register, the anti-Chavez opposition is attempting to save face as hundreds of thousands of workers returned to their jobs today after a 2-month lockout which saw them deprived of their wages over the critical Christmas/New Year period.

Organizers said the 'El Firmazo' was to underscore the opposition's contention that Venezuela should press for a Constitutional Amendment to shorten Chavez' mandate and allow early elections ... but even they had to admit that arrangements were makeshift with Chavez supporters harassed away from roughly set-up voting booths centered mainly in opposition strongholds with accompanying fanfare.

A month's scheduled delay before there can be any clarity as to the voting tally in Sunday's pseudo-referendum, has not deterred the opposition from declaring early projections while an election's board still has to be appointed to retroactively supervise Sunday's event and even that faces legal challenges in the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) and discussion in the National Assembly (AN).

Meanwhile the Organization of American States (OAS) is looking on askance as it continues an apparently futile attempt to reach an electoral settlement with the 6-nation "Group of Friends" from Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United States urging all parties to at least talk to one another.

With massive damage already caused to the nation's petroleum industry through sabotage and walk-outs, rebel Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) ex-employees say they will continue their stoppage as international economists predict a 10-20% GDP contraction this year on top of about 50% inflation and an inevitable increase in unemployment.

PDVSA president, former OPEC General Secretary Ali Rodriguez Araque says that oil production has already been increased to 1.5 million barrels a day and that it will be close to normal 3.2 million per day by the end of February.  At the same time 5,600 ex-PDVSA rebels say oil output is cut to 1 million bpd and there isn't a ghost's chance of lifting production above 1.5 million.