Provincial kingpins drift from CD to form new political organization

www.vheadline.com Posted: Thursday, March 13, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

In another apparent rift in the once solid Coordinadora Democratica (CD), attention-seeking former Merida State Governor William Davila has started his very own “participative project” called La Nueva Voz de la Provincia (New Voice of the Provinces).

Davila has teamed up with another provincial kingpin, former Tachira State Governor Sergio Omar Calderon, who will be the organization’s deputy president.

Former Federation of Chambers of Industry & Commerce (Fedecamaras) president, Vicente Brito is general coordinator.

Davila says the new organization will defend and reflect the reality and problems of provincial states, even though 12 of the 24 strong board of director hail from Caracas. “We are fighting against the centralist mentality in general and not just in the Chavist structure … we want to promote participative federalism and change the existing political structure.”