CTV's Manuel Cova proposes a new signature campaign to choose opposition Presidential candidate

www.vheadline.com Posted: Monday, February 17, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Venezuelan Confederation of Trade Unions (CTV)  general secretary Manuel Cova has proposed a signature campaign to choose a single opposition candidate to run against President Hugo Chavez Frias.

Cova says that diversity inside the Coordinadora Democratica (CD) is one of its strengths because it enriches the political debate … “so long as we don’t lose sight of the main objective, namely to place collective interests before anything else.”

The CTV leader, who has been given opposition media spotlight since the collapse of the national stoppage, suggests that a signature campaign would help void internal divisions and intrigues … “the candidacy would have the backing of millions of signatures.”

Cova says he agrees with the proposal of a constitutional amendment to shorten the presidential period and elections with a second round.

“It would help an opposition signature campaign, owing to diversity inside CD and would also help the problem of governance that we have in Venezuela because future rulers would be elected by a solid majority.”