unofficial: Venezuelan opposition did not get signatures

Breaking News Vheadline.com
Published: Monday, May 31, 2004

Bylined to: Philip Stinard

Repair signature totals show the Venezuela's opposition did NOT colle=
ct the=20
required number of referendum signatures

VENPRES' Eulin Gonzalez writes: Patria Para Todos director and Comand=
o=20
Ayacucho member Rodolfo Sanz said Monday that "we have the signature =
totals=20
=2E.. but we can't reveal the numbers yet ... however, the opposition=
 didn't=20
collect the number of signatures required to convene the (Presidentia=
l)=20
recall referendum, despite trying as many tricks as possible."

Sanz, who participated on the Venezolana de Television (VTV) program =
"En=20
Confianza," affirmed that an important political act took place. He=
=20
believes that Jimmy Carter tipped his hand when he stated that the=
=20
irregularities discovered (dead people's signatures and fake ID cards=
)=20
wouldn't have any significant effect on the final repair results. He =
said=20
that Carter's subjective opinion shouldn't have been made public, bec=
ause=20
he needs to wait for the results like everyone else, and the observer=
s must=20
abide by all of the rules, not just some of them.

Sanz said that a second important political act took place at the=
=20
opposition coordinator's press conference at the (Caracas) Hotel Meli=
a.=20
"It's evident that they're not going to recognize the results unless =
they=20
are favorable to the opposition. That's what Alberto Quiroz Corradi s=
aid=20
after he left a meeting with Carter. I'd like to know Carter's opinio=
n on=20
this."

Sanz said that he'd like to "warn the Democratic Coordinator that the=
y have=20
a little more to lose, so they shouldn't follow the strategy of Enriq=
ue=20
Mendoza, who is the big political loser in this phase.

The April (2002) coup buried Alfredo Pena, the petroleum strike swall=
owed=20
up the industrial and union leaders, and this process liquidated Mend=
oza=20
and the leaders of Primero Justicia."

Sanz emphasized that the international observers told him during a re=
cent=20
meeting that the outcome of the recall referendum process in Venezuel=
a=20
would serve as a parameter for constitutional modifications being=
=20
considered by other countries.

"Therefore, we mustn't weaken or de-legitimize the recall referendum,=
 which=20
is new to Latin American constitutions."

Translated by Philip Stinard

  En Espanol:

La oposici=C3=B3n no logr=C3=B3 el n=C3=BAmero de firmas necesarias
Venpres (Eulin Gonz=C3=A1lez): El dirigente del partido Patria Para T=
odos (PPT)=20
y miembro del Comando Nacional Ayacucho, Rodolfo Sanz, se=C3=B1al=
=C3=B3 que "tenemos=20
el n=C3=BAmero de firmas pero no podemos revelar la cifra a=C3=BAn, s=
in embargo, la=20
oposici=C3=B3n no lleg=C3=B3 a la cantidad que requer=C3=ADan para lo=
grar el referendo=20
revocatorio a pesar que hicieron toda la trampa posible".

Sanz, quien particip=C3=B3 en el programa "En Confianza" de Venezolan=
a de=20
Televisi=C3=B3n (VTV), afirm=C3=B3 que hubo un primer hecho pol=C3=
=ADtico de importancia.=20
Cree que Jimmy Carter jug=C3=B3 posici=C3=B3n adelantada cuando indic=
=C3=B3 que las=20
irregularidades cometidas no tienen ninguna incidencia num=C3=A9rica =
en el=20
resultado final de los reparos. Dijo que esa apreciaci=C3=B3n subjeti=
va de=20
Carter no debi=C3=B3 producirse porque =C3=A9l tiene que esperar los =
resultados y la=20
observaci=C3=B3n debe remitirse a todo el pa=C3=ADs y no a un segment=
o del proceso.

Expres=C3=B3 que hay un segundo hecho pol=C3=ADtico de importancia qu=
e fue la rueda=20
de prensa de la coordinadora de oposici=C3=B3n en el Hotel Meli=C3=
=A1. "All=C3=AD qued=C3=B3=20
evidenciado que ellos no van a reconocer los resultados a menos que l=
es=20
sean favorables, esto lo expres=C3=B3 Alberto Quiroz Corradi a la sal=
ida de una=20
reuni=C3=B3n con el ex presidente Carter. Quisiera saber cu=C3=A1l es=
 la opini=C3=B3n de=20
Carter acerca de todo esto", refiri=C3=B3.

Asimismo, sostuvo que quiere "alertar a sectores de la Coordinadora=
=20
Democr=C3=A1tica que tienen un poquito m=C3=A1s que perder a que no s=
e dejen meter=20
por el camino de la estrategia de Enrique Mendoza que es el gran derr=
otado=20
pol=C3=ADticamente en esta fase. El golpe de abril sepult=C3=B3 a Alf=
redo Pe=C3=B1a, el=20
paro petrolero se trag=C3=B3 a los l=C3=ADderes empresariales y sindi=
cales y este=20
proceso liquida a Mendoza y a los dirigentes de Primero Justicia".

Finalmente, subray=C3=B3 Sanz que en la reuni=C3=B3n que sostuvieron =
con los=20
observadores internacionales ellos les dec=C3=ADan que el desenlace c=
on respecto=20
al revocatorio en Venezuela servir=C3=A1 de par=C3=A1metro para algun=
as=20
modificaciones constitucionales que se han pensado en otros pa=C3=
=ADses.

"De manera que nosotros no podemos relajar ni deslegitimar la institu=
ci=C3=B3n=20
pol=C3=ADtica del referendo revocatorio que es novedosa en las consti=
tuciones de=20
Am=C3=A9rica Latina", puntualiz=C3=B3...



--=20
Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
In the contradiction lies the hope
=09=09--Brecht.


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