Venezuela, Ley Habilitante Sparks Debate
President Hugo Chavez considers that the "Ley Habilitante" will encourage the participation of the population within the legislative work in contrast with the anti-democratic character alleged by Washington.

The new regulation requested to the National Assembly will last 18 months and will confer the possibility to issue decrees with the range and force of law to the Executive. In that sense, it will boost the development of socialism proposed during the electoral campaign.

As part of the street parliamentarianism, the legislators called on communitarian representatives to analyze the content of the project to which the Executive conferred urgency character in an attempt to endorse it at second reading on January 24.

In response to the spokesperson of the US State Department Tom Casey, expressing concern on the assumed intention of Chavez to govern by decree, the Venezuelan National Assembly stated it is a mechanism established by the Constitution.

It stipulates the possibility to confer those powers to the president of the nation in its article 236.

On that base and on the support received by the socialist proposal backed up by the electoral triumph on December 3, the Bolivarian dignitary proposed to activate five "engines" to speed up changes, the first one is the "Ley Habilitante".

According to official estimates, between 40 and 60 laws will be approved with the special powers requested to cover different spheres with a significant emphasis on the economic field.