Chavez Frias government insists on August revocatory referendum

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 3:46:23 AM By: Robert Rudnicki

Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel has restated the government's position on an electoral solution to Venezuela's political crisis, urging the opposition to wait for a revocatory referendum after August 19, the half way point in President Hugo Chavez Frias' term in office and the earliest possible date permitted by the current Constitution.

Government negotiators in the Organization of American States (OAS) led peace talks at the Hotel Melia Caracas have presented this proposal to opposition negotiators, and Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV) secretary general Manuel Cova saying the opposition will respond to the proposal during Wednesday's session, however pointing out that the government has so far failed to respond to the opposition's proposal for a constitutional amendment that would shorten the President's term in office and allow an earlier referendum. 

The government's and the opposition's proposals are the two possible solutions that were put forward by former US President Jimmy Carter, but its seems unlikely at this stage that either side will agree to the other's choice. The government has previously indicated that should the opposition want an amendment then it would have to jump through the constitutionally required hoops to get one, without counting on the government's assistance.