Opposition negotiator Americo Martin seeks permanent role for negotiating process

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, May 23, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Opposition negotiator, Americo Martin states that all sectors opposed to President Hugo Chavez Frias have agreed NOT to sign a government counter-proposal to end the negotiation process. "The government wants to get out of negotiations and wants us to sign our death certificate ... we want to keep on living." 

Martin claims that the government is afraid of international reaction  and political fallout. "Chavez Frias is afraid of the recall referendum," Martin contends, " after telling everyone that the recall referendum was the solution." 

Martin and other opposition representatives have given no indication as to how long they expect the negotiation process will last. 

From his latest statement, Martin seems to suggest that the process be given a permanent status. 

The government, on the other hand, wants to end negotiations after an agreement has been signed and argues that democratic institutions should begin to function properly again. 

Some opposition leaders are coming around to the opinion that the National Assembly (AN) should return to its role as the country's democratic forum and that the opposition bench should accept the fact that the government is in the majority, just as the government could become minority if the recall referendum goes the opposition's way. 

Government defenders accuse the opposition of double-speak recalling that Accion Democratica and Christian Socialist Party steamrolled the minority during the Fourth Republic.