Chavez maligns opposition lawmakers-- Remarks follow scuffle at National Assembly

Friday, June 6, 2003 Posted: 1240 GMT ( 8:40 PM HKT)

What a sad sight these opposition deputies are! -- President Hugo Chavez

CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN-AP) -- President Hugo Chavez accused opposition legislators on Thursday of using violence to "sabotage" the discussion of pending laws. His accusation comes a day after a scuffle broke out between rival lawmakers.

"What a sad sight these opposition deputies are! They go to parliament to sabotage a session when patriotic deputies are trying to approve laws necessary for the country," said Chavez.

Pro-government and opposition lawmakers exchanged insults, shoved each other and some even traded punches in the National Assembly on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a crowd of "Chavistas," as the president's supporters are known, staged a rowdy protest outside the legislature.

Opposition lawmakers accused the ruling party, which controls 84 of the unicameral assembly's 165 seats, of attempting to amend the debate rules without taking the opposition's observations into account.

The change in rules, they argued, was meant to speed up approval of a law to regulate what television and radio stations can and cannot broadcast. Critics say the legislation could be used to quash freedom of expression.

Ruling party lawmakers convoked a special congressional session to be held in El Calvario, a park in a poor and dangerous downtown Caracas district, on Friday.

The opposition said they will not attend the session because it was not approved with a required simple majority but decided unilaterally by assembly president Francisco Ameliach, a close Chavez ally.

'An ambush'?

Pedro Alcantara, a member of the Democratic Action opposition party, said the ruling party was planning "an ambush" against the opposition by armed Chavez supporters during the session in El Calvario.

The district is generally considered pro-Chavez.

Opposition leaders are occasionally harassed, and sometimes even attacked, by radical Chavez backers as they enter and leave the legislature. On Wednesday, two dozen opposition lawmakers chose to wait for police escorts and an end to the protest before leaving the building.

The ruling party plans to vote to amend the debate rules on Friday.

In a related development, ruling party lawmaker Nicolas Maduro said government opponents are planning to bribe a pro-Chavez lawmakers in an attempt to break the "Chavista" majority.

"We have information they are offering one million dollars so a deputy leaves the country," said Maduro. He refused to give details of the alleged plan.