<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Government and opposition negotiators have met again with members of the international tripartite committee (United Nations, Carter Center and Organization of American States)  to discuss the future of negotiations and the possibility of signing an agreement. 

• The meeting, which took place at the plush Caracas Tamanaco Hotel, comes after the six-nation Group of Friends urged both sides to reach an agreement. 

Government adviser, Omar Mezza  claims that the Group of Friends took away a clear perception that further discussions should take place within the framework of the National Assembly (AN) and political parties. 

However, political observers say there is confusion about the government's intentions because Executive Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel had said the government will be ready to sign an agreement but not the one that the opposition waved around, which was a draft agreement to be discussed by allies on each side. 

In fact, the government returned from an internal debate with a counter-proposal that the opposition has so far preferred to ignore. Mezza did not refer to the government's proposal but rather repeated that the government policy is to undertake dialog. It is understood that OAS general secretary, Cesar Gaviria, who considers his work has concluded, will return to Caracas on Thursday to check progress or the lack of it. 

In the meantime, OAS Cabinet chief, Fernando Jaramillo is staying on in Caracas along with representatives of the Carter center and UN to monitor the development of dialog and agreement.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Continuing his analysis of the opposition, Jorge Olavarria maintains his position that the opposition should sign the government counterproposals and get on with the job of preparing the recall referendum. His message is a clear: Stop wasting time.

Olavarria still believes signatures collected during the so-called "Firmazo" on February 2 are invalid ... "the signature papers for the recall referendum were only included at the last moment and thanks to my insistence." The Coordinadora Democratica (CD), Olavarria points out, has produced 4 leaders in one year and they all have burned out. "In any negotiated agreement one obtains what one can not what one wants ... the problem is that time is running out."

If the agreement is signed, the government will have to accept the international supervision of somebody like Organization of American States (OAS) general secretary, Cesar Gaviria ... "signing the agreement would be a personal victory for him and vindicate his position."

Olavarria proposes a new signature campaign with a heading and text in line with Bolivarian Constitution Article 72. "New signatures, new life."

However, Olavarria warns that the parties must agree on the heading and wording of the text, as well as draw up clear norms as regards signing the paper to avoid sabotage and errors and it must be organized within 11 days.

If the campaign starts on May 18 there should be sufficient signatures by July 31 to take to the National Electoral College (CNE), in other words, the opposition has 75 days to collect 3 million signatures (40,000 per day).  After that, the opposition will need at least 2 weeks to audit and verify the signatures between August 1-20.

If all this action is postponed to await a decision on whether the February 2 signatures are valid or not, it will mean waiting till July 15. If the "Firmazo" is declared null, then it means 200,000 signatures would have to be collected per day to beat the deadline.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Opposition negotiator, Americo Martin has criticized what he says is President Hugo Chavez Frias' decision not to sign the recall referendum agreement reached between government and opposition representatives.  "Both sides must comply with the recall referendum ... the President himself proposed it to avoid the formula of early elections." 

One-time guerrilla Martin says the government will pay a high political price if they leave the table of negotiations. "The President was a year making the offer and now when he has been taken at his word, he refuses to sign the document." 

The opposition has no qualms about accepting defeat, Martin claims, adding a puzzling conclusion that if Chavez Frias loses, then he (the President) will have to leave the country. The lawyer did not explain why he thought that Chavez Frias would have to abandon Venezuela. 

The government has indeed decided to continue the dialog but through the "proper channels, namely" the National Assembly (AN). Government spokesman Omar Meza says negotiations were placed on the backburner after the bomb attempt on negotiations HQ and changes to the agreement text proposed by the government. 

The government position comes as the six-nation Group of Friends prepares to meet in Caracas this week.  Movimiento Quinta Republica (MVR) leader, Tarek William Saab has proposed the recall of the Peace & reconciliation Committee set up after April 11, 2002 to complement negotiations in parliament. Venezuelan Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), Jorge Valero says the situation is normal and there is no longer any crisis.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Accion Democratica (AD) president, Henry Ramos Allup has been quick to slam fellow opposition leader, Henrique Salas Romer for launching his Proyecto Venezuela (PV) candidacy. "The only opposition agenda right now is the recall referendum!"

Ramos Allup calls the PV position "divisionary," and "doing poor service to the opposition." 

The National Assembly (AN) deputy claims that the rest of the opposition has made a great effort to tow the line and avoid protagonism, even though many are possible presidential candidates, such as Enrique Mendoza, Enrique Salas, Alfredo Pena, Julio Borges.

Other opposition parties received a dressing down for questioning the validity of the Sumate Group signatures collected after the national stoppage faded out ... "if the opposition starts letting in own goals, saying the signatures aren't valid, Chavez Frias won't have to do anything to stay in power."

Returning to Salas Romer, Ramos Allup admits his adversary has his virtues but warns that he should not go OTT so that he can't see anymore what is happening in Venezuela.

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, May 05, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Hot on the heels of opposition groups, Primero Justicia (PJ) and Proyecto Venezuela (PV), Alianza Civica (consisting of Elias Santana's Queremos Elegir, Movimiento 1.011 and Ciudadania Activa) have launched an appeal to Coordinadora Democratica (CD) to undertake a citizen consultation process to clear the air once and for all to see if a single candidacy to stand against President Hugo Chavez Frias is convenient or not. 

Santana is at pains to explain that the proposal is not a rapid answer to PV leader, Henrique Salas Romer's launching of his candidacy ... "it's exercising citizen power and the right to elections ... it still has to be discussed whether the outcome of the consultation is binding or not ... it will be a instrument to guide the CD decisions regarding single candidacy, re-election limitations and guidelines for a transition period." 

The self-proclaimed civil sector leader warns that President Chavez Frias is already on the campaign trail and the opposition must act quickly and efficiently. "Complaints that Chavez Frias doesn't want a recall referendum must stop now ... the government reads polls and is getting ready."

Launching a PR campaign called "Democratic Rule," Santana says it consists of 7 stages:

• Appointment of National Electoral College (CNE)
• Delivery of signatures requesting recall referendum on August 20
• Obtaining international tutelage
• Popular consultation
• Defining the problem of a single candidacy
• Convocation of presidential elections
• Installation of a transition government of national unity.