Venezuelan government rejects opposition vote plan

www.sabcnews.com February 04, 2003, 07:45

Venezuela's government yesterday rejected a proposal to cut short the rule of President Hugo Chavez and delivered a fresh blow to the opposition campaign for early elections in the world's fifth biggest oil exporter.

Opposition leaders, who said they collected about four million signatures petitioning for a constitutional amendment to shorten Chavez's term, accused the government of stalling talks to end the bitter dispute over his rule.

Jose Vicente Rangel, the Vice President, said the government dismissed the opposition initiative and proposed instead a binding referendum after August on the president's rule. The amendment campaign marked a shift in strategy for opponents of Chavez after they scaled back a two-month strike that battered Venezuela's economy, but failed to unseat him. State oil workers at the heart of the strike have vowed to keep up their stoppage to press for a vote.

The fresh row signalled more political wrangling between the government and opposition, who have been locked in a stand-off since April when Chavez survived a short-lived military coup. Both the constitutional amendment and a binding referendum were put forward as options by Jimmy Carter, former US president and Nobel Peace prize winner, who is part of international efforts to broker an electoral deal.

In a statement Rangel said the government could not set a date for a referendum and also rejected Carter's proposal urging no reprisals for striking oil workers. Chavez has fired more than 5000 oil employees, accusing them of sabotage, and refused an amnesty.

A six-nation initiative led by the US and Brazil has also lent its weight to the talks led by the Organization of American States to hammer out an agreement on elections. - Reuters