Government has doubts about opposition's recall referendum sincerity

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, June 03, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel and government negotiators have held a press conference, insisting that the government is serious about the recall referendum and that it has its doubts whether the opposition is just as serious. 

Calling the current stage of relations a "fourth coup," Rangel accuses the opposition of distorting the facts and points to Proyecto Venezuela's (PV) propaganda slogan "Vote Yes on August 19!" as an example. 

Rangel says the claim is fraudulent and contentious  ... "there won't be any election or recall referendum on August 19 ... it will depend on a trustworthy National Electoral College (CNE) , collection of signatures by people wanting a recall referendum and revision of signatures ... finally, the CNE must convoke the referendum and fix the date." 

Government negotiators, Nicolas Maduro and Aristobulo Isturiz see the opposition's tactics as a "social  coup" because opposition deputies are calling on people to take to the streets and threatening insurrections, if the recall referendum doesn't come off on August 19.  Isturiz contends that the "social coup" is working at half steam with opposition media highlighting social problems, such as street children, external debt and inflation. 

Vice President Rangel comments that the opposition message is that if the government fails to comply with the referendum, then there will be an insurrection ... "we have our doubts as well about opposition compliance." 

Movimiento Quinta Republica (MVR) deputies, Omar Mezza and Calixto Ortega have been appointed as government representatives on the agreement liasion committee.