OAS General Secretary Cesar Gaviria puts out feelers to test political will to reach agreement
<a href=www.vheadline.com>venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue
Organization of American States (OAS) general secretary, Cesar Gaviria has made a stopover in Venezuela to try and put wind in the sails of government-opposition negotiations, which once again have stalled.
Gaviria has been meeting representatives of both sides separately to find out if there is enough political will to continue sessions and seek an electoral, pacific and constitutional solution.
The crunch point is whether the opposition will reply to the government's counter-proposal to a pre-agreement document, which the opposition expected the government to sign and which the government agreed to discuss among its allies before returning to the table.
The opposition has encountered difficulties in its own camp from critics who say opposition negotiators should have dealt with the counter-proposal then and there to get the recall referendum rolling instead of wasting time.
OAS representative in Caracas, Fernando Jaramillo has prepared a new document which could be the starting-point for further negotiations and is limited to electoral aspects.
Opposition negotiators, Alejandro Armas and Rafael Alfonso say they are ready to continue negotiations and Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel has made it clear on several occasions that the government is open, declaring that the ball is in the opposition's court.
Gaviria is expected to leave Venezuela for Argentina and Peru and could return next Monday to continue his job as facilitator.
After wrapping up exploratory meetings with the opposition and Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, Carter Center representatives, Jennifer McCoy and Francisco Diez confirm that they are confident there will be an agreement.
The two representatives contend that Rangel has ratified the government's disposition to reach an agreement and support for the Carter Center's continuing role as facilitator and observer in Venezuela.