Dates for Recall Petition Drive and Referendum are Set (Venezuela)

[Say_What]

<clips>

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) announced yesterday that there will be two sets of dates for collecting signatures for recall referenda. The first set of dates, will be November 12 to 24, during which Chavez supporters will gather the signatures of elected officials belonging to the opposition. The second set of dates will be a week later, from November 28 to December 1st.

Chavez supporters want to revoke the mandates of 38 deputies in the National Assembly, of seven governors, and of the mayor of greater Caracas. The opposition seeks to revoke the mandate of President Chavez and of 34 deputies who represent pro-Chavez parties in the National Assembly.

The decision of when to hold the recall referendum petition drives was unanimous, with all five council members voting in favor of the chosen dates.

The CNE will print the petition forms, which will be printed on special paper, so as to minimize the risk of falsification. The CNE will print enough forms for 70% of registered voters to sign, or 8 million signatures, for each petition drive. Venezuela has just over 12 million registered voters. This means that 1.6 million petition forms will be printed, since each form holds ten signatures.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1067

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. A recall petition? Can there be ANY doubt who's behind this now?

[bemildred]

2. This should be very interesting.

It appears to be a two-edged sword at work here.
Chavez supporteres are trying to recall "opposition" deputies,
and the "opposition" is trying to recall Chavez and Chavez-supporting
deputies. Down and dirty, rolling for all the marbles.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. James Carville is helping out

Venezuela's embattled private sector is banking on the colorful U.S. political consultant James Carville to help oust leftist President Hugo Chavez. The hire may herald an effort by the anti-Chavistas to focus more on the issues than on personality.

According to several individuals with knowledge of the matter, a group of business executives contracted with Mr. Carville this year to craft a strategy that will unify a fractious and frustrated Chavez opposition and resonate with voters in a possible recall referendum. The executives are hoping that Mr. Carvillethe folksy, 59-year-old Democratic Party consultant from Louisiana known as the Ragin' Cajunwill push a variation of his "It's the economy, stupid" theme that helped propel Bill Clinton to victory in 1992. But analysts say Mr. Carville and his clients face a formidable challenge.

http://casavenezuela.org/05persp/articles/economia_stupid.html

[Minstrel Boy]

4. I'm not surprised, but it hurts.

And just as I was beginning to like Carville.

[LevChernyi]

5. goes to show what a scumbag he is

I swear "crossfire" has to be the most unintentionally funny show on television, from the "left" you get Paul "Enron consultant" Begala and James Carville pimping for a bunch of oil plutocrats who want to keep the money in the good Spanish bloodlines in Venezuela.

We have quite the "left" in America :eyes:

[Judi Lynn]

6. Agree with Minstrel Boy

This really defies understanding.

How can a DEMOCRAT do something like that? Make a bond with one of the MOST anti-Democratic groups on the planet?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Concerning the ongoing struggle against the poluted Venezuelan media:

(snip) Posted: Thursday, October 16, 2003
By: VHeadline.com Reporters


Organization of American States (OAS) asks Venezuela's media to provide truthful information

Venezuelanalysis.com reports that the Chief of Staff of the Organization of American States (OAS), Fernando Jaramillo has made a call to the Venezuelan mass media to communicate what is really happening in Venezuela.

Jaramillo made the statement during a press conference to clarify certain commentaries and news about the OAS High Level Meeting on Poverty, Fairness & Social Inclusion that ended last Friday on Isla de Margarita, off the east coast of Venezuela. Jaramillo justified calling a special press conference because "I have read and heard things that do not necessarily correspond with what has happened!"
(snip)

(snip) The Venezuelan media, with some exceptions, has adopted anti-government editorial lines, and their owners and executives routinely participate in meetings with opposition political figures, which gets reflected in the kind of information they present to the public. Government achievements receive little or no coverage, while mistakes and criticisms of President Chavez and the government are highlighted and well covered.

The Venezuelan media played an active role in the April 11, 2002 coup d'etat against President Chavez. Later, when millions of people took the streets to demand and end to the dictatorial government and the return of President Chavez, the TV channels deliberately decided to defend the dictatorial government by attempting to hide the uprising broadcasting cartoons and soap operas. (snip/...)

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=11411