Chavez Backers Rally To Alter Constitution

Reforms Would Do Away With Term Limits, Expand President's Powers To Remake Gov't

(AP)  Tens of thousands of President Hugo Chavez's supporters filled the streets Friday for a final rally ahead of a vote on constitutional changes that would let him seek re-election indefinitely. Opponents called for close monitoring of results in what they expect could be a tight contest.

Government supporters, who gathered waiting to hear Chavez speak, vowed to win approval of reforms that would do away with term limits and expand Chavez's powers to remake the government and economy.

"Chavez has become a father for us," said Xiomi Diaz, 34, a farmer. "He's a father of the poor." She and others traveled from across the country in hundreds of buses.

The pro-Chavez rally came a day after more than 100,000 opposition supporters filled the same avenue promising to defeat revisions that would also extend presidential terms from six to seven years and create new forms of communal property.

Chavez denies he is trying to amass power, saying the changes are necessary to give the people a greater voice in government and to move toward a socialist system.

Human Rights Watch warned the changes would threaten fundamental rights, citing one that would allow the president to declare indefinite states of emergency during which the government could detain citizens without charge and censor the media.

"These amendments would enable President Chavez to suspend basic rights indefinitely by maintaining a perpetual state of emergency," Jose Miguel Vivanco of the New York-based group said in a statement Thursday.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters that the United States hopes that "the results of the referendum truly reflect the will of the Venezuelan people."

"It should be a free and fair contest in which the will and desire of the Venezuelan people is reflected," McCormack said.

Chavez's opponents have questioned the National Electoral Council's impartiality, especially after Chavez named its former chief, Jorge Rodriguez, as his own vice president in January. But in contrast to past elections, when the opposition has boycotted votes or been split on whether to participate, this time many opposition leaders are emboldened and urging voters to turn out in large numbers.

The government and the opposition both cite polls suggesting their side is ahead, raising tensions ahead of the referendum.

About 100 electoral observers from 39 countries in Latin America, Europe and the United States are on hand, plus hundreds of Venezuelan observers, the National Electoral Council said.

Yet absent this time are the Organization of American States and the European Union, which have closely monitored past votes. The short notice before the vote - on reforms approved by the solidly pro-Chavez National Assembly just one month before - has prevented both institutions from sending delegations that normally take six months to prepare.

The observers from the United States include delegations from the National Lawyers Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Associated Press writer Fabiola Sanchez contributed to this report.

[closethippy1]

Is and will Chavez be acting for the sole benefit of the prosperity of his country as demonstrated by past policies and actions in his country?
Yes, no trickle down economics there. He is placing the wealth of oil back into the hands of the people of his country instead of into the hands of corporate interests who use your tax dollars to enrich themselves.
Posted by logicanada

Look at it this way, the same corporate mentality that got millions of Americans in trouble with their mortgages got Latin America out of whack.
All they''re trying to do is fix themselves and if the US doesn''t want to help well, too bad.

[logicanada]

Q.will a victory give Chavez the power to extend his terms?
A;Yes, much the same as a national emergency will give Bush the power to cancel elections indefinately.
(A ruling Bush had secretly passed)

Q: Is Chavez ''commander in chief?
A: Yes, so is Bush

Is and will Chavez acting for the sole benefit of the prosperity of his country as demonstrated by past policies and actions in his country?
Yes, no trickle down economics there. He is placing the wealth of oil back into the hands of the people of his country instead of into the hands of corporate interests who use your tax dollars to enrich themselves.
Q:What is Chavez''s popularity as of his last elections?
A:80%
What is Bush''s popularity poll?
We all know that answer.
What type of reading does Chavez do?
A: Noam Chomsky
What reading does Bush do?
A;My Pet Goat.
Q:ever see Chavez out having fun with the common man?
A: Every week.
Q:How about Bush?
A:Say what????
Q:Who are Chavez''s ''willing'' international allies?
A:Iran, China, Russia etc..
Q: how about Bush?
A:....
etc.

[closethippy1]

It is true that one of the proposed reforms would abolish presidential term limits. But it is silly to say, as some have claimed, that this would be ''dictatorial.'' The President will still have to stand for re-election, and furthermore will still be subject to recall%u2014a democratic provision that is unique in the Americas. The United States did not have presidential term limits until 1951. Was the U.S. previously a dictatorship?
Venezuela has been through very rough times with the all the presidents they had before Chavez first came to power in 1996. What Chavez is doing to fix Venezuela''s problems is to think outside the box.
Right now the country needs a strong man to take care of corrupt officials, for example.
I find it odd that Raul Baduel would refer to the freaking Catholic church as his source for political knowdlege. It was this very church that sided with Latin American dictators until the end and who also sided with the Nazis in Europe.
A good government doesn''t have to be "Christian".

[one_american]

Raul Baduel, a former Defense Minister for Chavez writes in the New York Times:

"Hugo Chavez and I worked together for many years. I supported him through thick and thin, serving as his defense minister. But now, having recently retired, I find myself with the moral and ethical obligation as a citizen to express my opposition to the changes to the Constitution that President Chavez and the National Assembly have presented for approval by the voters tomorrow.

The proposal, which would abolish presidential term limits and expand presidential powers, is nothing less than an attempt to establish a socialist state in Venezuela. As our Catholic bishops have already made clear, a socialist state is contrary to the beliefs of Simsn Bolmvar, the South American liberation hero, and it is also contrary to human nature and the Christian view of society, because it grants the state absolute control over the people it governs.

Venezuelan society faces a broad array of problems that have not been addressed in the eight years Mr. Chavez has been in office, even though the present Constitution offers ample room for any decent, honest government to do so. Inflation, threats to personal safety, a scarcity of basic supplies, a housing shortage and dismal education and health care are problems that will not be resolved by approving this so-called reform."

[pelostilaho]

Third grade?

That''s about your speed, pal.

I frankly doubt you even served at this point. All I ever see posted by you is Left Fascist garbage. Heck, you wouldn''t even protect America if we suffered another 9/11, courtesy of the Iran that you idol, James Earl Carter Jr. aka Peanut Bigot, Racist and Coward gave us.

Rant on, bozo. And do lick the spittle off that uniform if it truly exists and then tell its champipple.

[pelostilaho]

you want a source, phoney boy...

Here tis - read Brinkley''s "An Unfinished Presidency" - Brinkley by the way, so-called Gyrene, is a Carter admirer.

Or you can read the Conservative book on him, but guys like you who''d prefer "Mein Kampf" won''t bother.
Read Brinkley - you''ll find out a lot about Peanut Bigot''s arse kissing of Yasser Arafat, for example.

[formrusmcsgt]

I know Jimmah Carter never met a dictator he didn''''t like.

Posted by Infidel_Us at 09:24 AM : Dec 01, 2007

Source?

[formrusmcsgt]

Ahhh, that feels better.

Posted by Pelostilaho at 07:43 AM : Dec 01, 2007

Third-grader namecalling makes you feel good, does it?

[infidel_us]

Wonder how many Hollywood scuzzballs will be heading down there to take part on Chavez''s behalf? I know Jimmah Carter never met a dictator he didn''t like. Maybe he''ll go down too.

[gunownerdan]

You''ve got to be pretty stupid to want to live under a dictatorship.
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups!!!!!

[pelostilaho]

McNazibozo

Shut the F up, loser.

Ahhh, that feels better. Of course the coward never will, but that''s ok. He''ll keep swilling toilet water like a good little Nazi girlyboy that he is.

Swish Swish, McVet aka Nazibozo.

[pelostilaho]

IF Chavez sends out his goon squads to beat up the kids and others who want Democracy, not his kind of Left Fascism, then Bush should have the balls to send in the Marines.

Better a Democratic Venezuela than a Terroristic Palestinian state, Mr. Bush.

Of course the Left Nazis, who hate this country and would sooner stick up for our enemies would howl with rage. Let them - its time to round them up anyway and give them a choice - Gitmo, Abu Gharib, or the coward''s way out - Havana, Pyongyang, Damascus, Tehran, Gaza - or Mecca.

C''mon Leftie Losers, start screaming.

Better a Chavez-free Venezuela than a Hamaistan nurtured by Bush and Rice.

[mcvet]

You''''re sore loser who can''''t get over 00 and 04, just deal with it you lost fair and square.



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Posted by jowand at 06:13 AM : Dec 01, 2007
+ report abuse

You know this how? I know an awlful lot of people who bought Bush''s lies and voted for him. They now speak EXACTLY like this citizen does and it''s NOT because they are sore losers... no it''s because we have wasted 6 years and spent a TRILLION Dollars we do not have on a war over weapons that didn''t exist and threats that never were. At the rate you fascist are "Winning" this thing we MIGHT find the grave of Bin Laden in... Oh say 50 YEARS!! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[mcvet]

Bush hasn''''t changed and cannot change the Constitution, the people have to approve a proposed ammendment first then Congress votes on it.



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Posted by jowand at 06:15 AM : Dec 01, 2007
+ report abuse

Right! Can you point to ONE, just ONE Constitutional Expert that will agree with you. I have read several of them and they all agree that Bush is NOT representing WE the PEOPLE at this time and that things promised in our Constitution have been completely ignored by Heir Bush!! Sieg Heil Bush!! Come on you bootlicker... stand up and shout it out... SIEG HEIL BUSH! Good! Now go get your cup of Kool Aid...

[closethippy1]

It is true that one of the proposed reforms would abolish presidential term limits. But it is silly to say, as some have claimed, that this would be ''dictatorial.'' The President will still have to stand for re-election, and furthermore will still be subject to recall%u2014a democratic provision that is unique in the Americas. The United States did not have presidential term limits until 1951. Was the U.S. previously a dictatorship?

[jowand]

George Bush is spreading a new theme with dictatorship procedures: Change the Constitution.
Posted by mcv57 at 01:15 AM : Dec 01, 2007

Bush hasn''t changed and cannot change the Constitution, the people have to approve a proposed ammendment first then Congress votes on it.

[jowand]

Wow - Chavez must be related to Bush/Cheney - they want to change Our Constitution also. Who''''s the bad guys here?????

Both Presidents are pushing their countries toward Fascism - I know Bush and Cheney are succeeding.
Posted by watcher269 at 05:03 AM : Dec 01, 2007

You''re sore loser who can''t get over 00 and 04, just deal with it you lost fair and square.

[watcher269-2009]

Wow - Chavez must be related to Bush/Cheney - they want to change Our Constitution also. Who''s the bad guys here?????

Both Presidents are pushing their countries toward Fascism - I know Bush and Cheney are succeeding.

[ubrew12]

FeelFree1 said: "we are hardly in any position to point at others and advise them on how to run a democracy"
Point taken. However, there is no ''we'' here. Just me, and my opinion. Term limits seem a good idea. A movement is larger than a man, even in Latin America.

[tbweb]

The one thing foreign powers don''t understand about the United States is that the United States is a family, a macro of the basic American family micro. You know the deal, U.S. family members may fight each other, but when an outsider tries to jump in and side with a family member the entire family attacks the outsider! Police are often baffled by this phenomenon when a spouse calls the Police in domestic violence cases, husbands and wives fighting, only to join forces an attack the Police when they arrive! We can fight each other but outsiders stay out! True!