Accion Democratica (AD) blusters on government-opposition negotiations agreement

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

Opposition groups are still deciding on how to react to the government-opposition negotiators agreement expected to be signed this coming week. Minor Coordinadora Democratica (CD) political parties: Union, Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) and Solidaridad have announced that they will accept the 19-clause agreement as it stands, even though they have reservations about particular clauses.

Proyecto Venezuela (PV) and Primero Justicia (PJ), which have distanced themselves from the CD, are coming around to Jorge Olavarria's opinion that an across-the-board recall referendum process should be accepted and that the agreement guarantees an electoral process.

Of the major parties, Christian Socialist (COPEI) has accepted whereas Accion Democratica (AD)  has been putting on airs, saying it is still discussing article by article. The Adecos have called in former Presidential Secretariat Minister and constitutional lawyer, Asdrubal Aguiar to advise them on each article of the agreement. 

The increasingly arrogant AD president, Henry Ramos Allup, who is on a roll since Saturday's allegedly successful "Assault on Catia," says AD will not sign any agreement without reviewing each point. Allegedly speaking for all opposition negotiators, Ramos Allup conforms that neither negotiators  nor CD nor anybody will sign a closed document. "If we sense that the government wants us to take it or leave it, then we will not sign." 

Other signs of inconformity among opposition parties have been appearing ... Primero Justicia (PJ)  has criticized Proyecto Venezuela (PV) leader, Henrique Salas Romer and CD leader Miranda State Governor Enrique Mendoza for promoting divisions in the opposition camp. 

PJ general secretary Jose Luis Mejias says PV had invited both men to a private meeting in November 2002, urging then to create a united front and to drop the personal confrontations ... "Venezuela does not want to see a struggle between the two persons or fights between AD, PV and PJ ... the country wants the opposition to unite."