VENEZUELA: BELEAGUERED PRESIDENT CHAVEZ KICKS OFF HIS CAMPAIGN FOR THE AUGUST 15 RECALL VOTE

Record ID: 347534

  • Title: VENEZUELA: BELEAGUERED PRESIDENT CHAVEZ KICKS OFF HIS CAMPAIGN FOR THE AUGUST 15 RECALL VOTE
  • Date: 9th June 2004
  • Summary: (W2) CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JUNE 09, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ ARRIVING TO SWEARING IN CEREMONY 0.08 2. WS: AUDIENCE APPLAUDING 0.13 4. WS: AUDIENCE APPLAUDING 0.51 (W2) CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JUNE 10, 2004) (REUTERS) 5. VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE WALKING (2 SHOTS) 1.01 6. VARIOUS OF NEWSPAP
  • Embargoed: 24th June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Reuters ID: LVAKPYEKUMXUT6RSDZF25QYSTSF
  • Story Text: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez kicks off his
    campaign for the August 15 recall vote.


    Beleaguered Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on
    Wednesday (June 09) swore in campaign worker loyalists
    enlisted to work on his campaign for the August 15th recall
    vote.

    "Swear that you will not rest until the 15th of August
    when we have consolidated a new victory," said Chavez as he
    swore in the campaign workers.

    The National Electoral Council ruled this week that
    Chavez will face a recall referendum on Aug. 15 that could
    open the way for an election for a new president within 30
    days if the leftist leader is defeated at the polls.

    After a year-long opposition campaign for a vote, it
    was a victory for foes of Chavez who had feared that delays
    in holding the referendum could have dimmed their chances
    of ousting his left-wing government.

    According to Venezuela's constitution, if Chavez lost a
    recall held after Aug. 19, his vice president would take
    over until elections in December 2006. However if Chavez
    loses a recall before that date, elections must be held
    within 30 days.

    The referendum is the latest chapter in more than two
    years of turmoil over Chavez's rule of the world's No. 5
    oil exporting nation. The Venezuelan leader survived a coup
    two years ago and later weathered a two-month oil strike.

    Chavez was elected in 1998 -- six years after leading a
    military rebellion -- and re-elected in 2000. He says most
    Venezuelans support his efforts to redistribute the country's
    oil resources to battle poverty and has confidently forecast
    another victory.

    But his opponents say Chavez's self-styled revolution
    has failed the poor and instead driven off investors and
    sharpened tensions between the social classes.

    "The country is interested in solving the unemployment
    problem, the lack of personal security problem, health,
    education, social security, and these cannot be resolved
    with bullets in the 21st century. Like the battle of Santa
    Ines or calling out names like Senor Maisanta. This is
    fixed by building a modern nation," said opposition
    spokesperson Jesus Torrealba.

    To win a referendum, his opponents must match or beat
    the 3.76 million votes he received in the 2000 election.

    An alliance of opposition groups in December held a
    petition to collect the 2.4 million valid signatures -- 20
    percent of the electorate -- required by the constitution
    to trigger a recall.

    Carrasquero, who opposition leaders accused of favoring
    Chavez, said a final tally showed the petition had secured
    2.54 million valid signatures. His foes say Chavez
    manipulated key electoral and court officials to try to
    scuttle the vote.

    The electoral council also ruled the voting process
    would be automated, a decision the opposition fears could
    lead to more delays in the referendum or open up the
    process to possible cheating.

    Another nagging question is whether Chavez will be able
    to run again for president if he is defeated -- a disputed
    point that could be decided by the supreme court.

    Venezuela's constitution talks of a "new president"
    being elected and taking office if the incumbent is
    recalled. Chavez's opponents interpret this to mean that if
    he is defeated he cannot immediately run again.
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