Group of Friends: Urgent call for an electoral solution in Venezuela
<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, May 09, 2003 By: VenAmCham
The Group of Friends concluded its visit to Venezuela with a communique making it clear that an electoral solution is needed to overcome the serious conflicts that prevail in Venezuelan society.
The group of six countries that support the work of OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria urged the participants in the negotiating round table to make strenuous efforts to overcome continuing differences between the parties. Brazilian Deputy Foreign Minister Gilberto Savoia spoke on the group's behalf, "stress(ing) the importance of an agreement as an indispensable step to strengthening trust and achieving a constructive political and electoral climate, as well as laying the groundwork for a reconciliation among the Venezuelans."
The group also issued a warning about violence and freedom of expression, reaffirming the importance of "a full implementation of the agreement against violence and for peace and democracy, as well as the need to maintain respect for freedom of expression, which must be exercised by the public and private media in a responsible and balanced fashion."
They also pointed out that the Venezuelans are responsible for their own destiny: "Venezuela's problems can, and must be resolved by the Venezuelans, in the framework of the country's Constitution and laws." But the prospect of the negotiating round table's dissolution raises doubts about what kind of agreement the government and the opposition could achieve.
The Venezuelan government clearly stated its intentions to the group of friends: putting an end to the negotiating round table moderated by the OAS Secretary General with the support of the Carter Center and the UNDP and moving the debate to the National Assembly (AN).
To that end the Group of Friends proposed signing a preliminary agreement at the round table without delay, and returning Cesar Gaviria to his office in Washington. The opposition takes the position that the government is doing everything it can to block the recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez Frias, and believes the Venezuelan people in the streets will be the ones to enforce the constitutional provisions.