Despite a previous acceptance of the validation following its issue, the opposition coalition finally decided to reject the report that was issued earlier Saturday by the electoral authorities and ratified by observers from the United States Carter Center (CC) and the Organization of American States (OAS), said Asdrubal Aguiar, spokesman of the opposition coalition Democratic Coordination (CD).

The report admitted the legality of the referendum through an auditing of votes in 150 poll stations. The validation results, presented by the National Electoral Council, were approved by observer groups from the CC and the OAS.

"The auditing report that has been announced to the country does not solve the problem we have put forth," Aguiar told reporters here, reiterating the opposition's complains that there existed frauds in the referendum.

The CD called for "the integral auditing of the (referendum) process" that was won by Chavez with 58 percent, Aguiar said.

He announced that the opposition will form a commission of mathematics and statistics experts to show "the route of the frauds."

Aguiar noted that an OAS observation mission failed in Peru when validating electoral results several years ago. Such a mistake helped the re-election of then President Alberto Fujimori,who is currently in exile in Japan due to an outbreak of political scandals in his term.
 

Uruguayan ruling party confirms presidential candidate
Uruguay's ruling Colorado Party(PC) confirmed on Saturday that Guillermo Stirling, former interior minister, was named candidate for the presidential election slated for Oct. 31.

Stirling, who won the internal election of the PC by a majority on June 27, has called on his party members and independent voters to join efforts to "flood the ballot boxes with PC votes" in the coming elections.

However, the PC confirmation of Stirling's candidacy was rejected by Uruguayan President Jorge Batlle. The president, who is in the Dominican Republic for a tour, said the ruling party hasno candidate.

At present, Stirling runs only third in the opinion polls, with left-wing candidate Tabare Vazquez placing top with 51 percent and National Party's Jorge Larranaga second with 32 percent.
 

Paraguayan supermarket fire affects 1,000 families
The fire in a supermarket on the outskirts of Asuncion, capital of Paraguay, left at least 1,000 families affected for the death, disappearance and injuries of their relatives.

The incident, which occurred on Aug. 1 in the Ycua Bolanos supermarket, left 417 dead and 55 charred human remains, plus 49 missing, according to Director of the National Emergency Council, Aristides Gonzalez. In addition, 477 injured were hospitalized.

The Mental Health Direction of the Public Health Ministry is providing psychological assistance to 376 people affected in one way or another in the fire, said the official.

The fire broke out when the supermarket was crowded with Sunday midday shoppers. Reports said nearly 1,000 people had been inside the shopping center, which is part of the complex that also houses offices and an underground parking lot.

The supermarket owner Juan Pio Paiva and his son Victor Daniel Paiva, accused of manslaughter, were held in preventive detention. Eyewitnesses said the son ordered supermarket guards to close doors to prevent people from leaving without paying.