Talcual slams opposition pessimists: recall referendum is the only solution

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela Electronic News Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

In an important editorial TalCual.com afternoon tabloid reminds readers that it endorsed the strategy of fighting for a recall referendum as far back as June 18, 2002, a month after the failed coup against the Chavez Frias administration. 

• At the time, quick-fix adversaries chimed back that the country could not wait till August 2003 ... "it was an irresponsible pretext for coup solutions." 

Editor Teodoro Petkoff warns that there are only 5 months before President Hugo Chavez Frias reaches the half way mark of his term in office and the opposition must get its act together now by clearing the way for the recall referendum. "However, a new alibi has appeared: Chavez will not go to the ballet box."

The editorial states that while there are people of good faith believing the alibi, there are also people in the Chavist camp, who think that the opposition cannot be believed either ... "that's how polarization works: mutual disregard and reciprocal demonization are the predominant characteristics." 

Others, Talcual warns,  maliciously use the pretext as a disguise for new coup attempts. The editorial admits that Chavez Frias has no interest in going to the polls and will try to delay and throw obstacles in the way of a  recall referendum.

"The opposition IS  interested in elections and there is not much Chavez Frias can do, except for a house coup like Perez Jimenez did in 1957 ... he fell from power two months later. "

The opposition has to get its act together and its first move must be to establish the validity of signatures already handed in. 

The proposal that Chavez Frias can run for subsequent presidential elections must also be discussed at the negotiations, the tabloid insists,  each and every time Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel brings the topic up.