Opposition El Calvario appellants foisted by their own petard at TSJ

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 By: David Coleman

Opposition politicians are being driven to distraction by presumed delays at the Supreme Tribunal of justice (TSJ) where they lodged an appeal Monday on the legality of last Friday's convened El Calvario congress.  Globovision is heading it as "no hurry" in the TSJ, "no hurry" for the CNE and "no hurry" for the Assembly, after it was announced that judge Jesus Eduardo Cabrera has been assigned the case seeking the El Calvario session to be declared null and void.

Meanwhile the designation of a new board of directors to the National Electoral College (CNE) hasn't even got off the ground and the TSJ appears to be hell bent on preserving its own dignity by covering every microscopic detail to avoid a situation where they will automatically be labeled "Chavista" should the government win the war of words.

The major complaint now is that Cabrera is suggesting a rather lengthy legal process which the opposition sees as stone-walling a solution to the political stand-off.  Globovision adds, rather menacingly, that it's going to be lengthy "at least by legal means..."

Cabrera says the initial probate period will be 10 working days and then a further lapse of 30 days for it to be passed to the Constitutional Chamber, and then some, to arrive at a ruling...  This means there is every possibility the process by which the CNE board can be designated will have to wait until October.

The opposition is insisting that they want to get a revocatory referendum underway as of August 19, but are now experiencing the rewards of their own filibustering, foisted by their own petard and with every likelihood that the El Calvario congress will be declared legal albeit exceptional.