[Marxism] Accion Democratica breaks from anti-Chavez coalition, warns against coup

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 <http://venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1252>
http://venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1252

Venezuela's Biggest Opposition Party Splits from Anti-Chavez
Coalition
Monday, Apr 19, 2004

By: Martin Sanchez, Venezuelanalysis.com

Caracas, Venezuela, Apr 19 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- Accion
Democratica (AD), Venezuela's biggest opposition party,
decided to split form the Coordinadora Democratica, a coalition
that groups political parties that oppose the government of Hugo
Chavez.

The announcement was made by AD's Secretary General Henry
Ramos Allup, who denounced that other opposition parties have
a hidden agenda. Ramos said his party will not attend any
meetings of the Coordinadora Democrática coalition unless the
meetings are taped or have direct media coverage.

Ramos accused other opposition parties of wanting to sabotage
the process of verification of signatures (repair) for a possible
recall referendum on President Chavez's mandate. "We reject
the repugnant and disloyal actions by some who say something
at the meetings, and then say something totally different to the
media," said Ramos.

Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) detected
irregularities in a high percentage of the signatures collected by
opponents of the President who are using their constitutional
right to convoke a recall referendum. Due to the volatility of the
political situation, electoral authorities have opted to ask those
whose signatures contain irregularities, to come forward and
confirm or deny their willingness to sign, a process they call
"repair". Most opposition parties reject that process, and argue
that the signatures should be accepted and the recall convoked
immediately. The signature repair process has been delayed by
a legal battle between two chambers of the Supreme Court over
how the process should be conducted. The Coordinadora
Democratica is discussing whether they will participate in the
repair process.

The opposition leader said his party "won't remain silent" if other
opposition parties attempt to execute a new coup d'etat like that
of April of 2002. Ramos said his party is committed to the
process of recall referendum and that they will follow the advice
of "international organizations" and will exhaust all the legal
ways to convoke the recall.

Other political parties have rejected any negotiations with
electoral authorities over the signatures repair process, and
have made calls to not recognize the authority of electoral
authorities or the government. AD seems to be distancing
themselves from radical sectors of the opposition, due to the fact
that according to polls, they have great chances of winning
elections in several states in the upcoming gubernatorial
elections late this year.

Political analysts argue that given President Chavez's popularity,
which hovers around 40% and 50%, AD, which is one of
Venezuela's oldest political parties, has decided to concentrate
on slowly rebuilding their credibility and popular base in order to
present a solid alternative to Chavez in the 2006 presidential
elections.

The shocking announcement made by AD, was largely ignored
by the commercial media which opposes President Chavez.
Even Globovision, an all news channel with a clear anti-
government line, has given very little coverage to the
announcement. Globovision's president holds strong political
ties to AD.

William Ojeda, leader of the opposition party Un Solo Pueblo,
also announced on Sunday that his party will not recognize the
opposition coalition's representatives at negotiation with the
National Electoral Council.

Multiple rumors of a possible new coup d'etat are currently
circulating in Venezuela. Army divisions rebelling, oil fields about
to be sabotaged, and a new oil strike are among the rumors that
are circulating, putting many on high alert. The new divisions
within the opposition coalition have increased the intensity of
these rumors, as some think that a section of the opposition has
decided not to participate in violent episodes currently being
planned in order to oust Chavez.




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