Venezuela

[Cluster]

ANTI-CHAVEZ REFERENDUM: MOOD QUIET ON FIRST DAY OF SIGNATURE REVIEW

The first day of the review process for the ‘dubious’ signatures collected by the opposition for a recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez ended amid a mood of relative calm: the president of the National Electoral Council (NEC), Jorge Rodríguez, spoke of a “situation of absolute normality, without major mishaps, peaceful as it should be”. The general secretary of OAS (Organisation of American States), César Gaviria, who arrived in Caracas yesterday, expressed a similar sentiment: “We strongly hope that the process continues in this way, so that Venezuelans might find an answer, a solution to end the serious political conflict to affect the country”. However, the matter of the head of the OAS observation mission, Fernando Jaramillo, whom the Venezuelan government considers close to the opposition, still has to be resolved. The deputy president José Vicente Rangel has asked Gaviria to expel him from the list of experts – including the observers from the ‘Carter Center’ – called to monitor the review process. Jaramillo will probably be replaced by Gaviria himself. At least 500,000 Venezuelans must confirm their support for a recall referendum by tomorrow evening for a vote to be held. By law, just over 2.4 million valid signatures (or 20 per cent of the electorate) are needed altogether; NEC has already accepted 1.9 million signatures collected by the opposition last November. If it is successful, the opposition can call the referendum on 8 August; otherwise, it will have to wait for the next presidential elections, which are scheduled for December 2006.

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