Venezuela Gets Ready for
Constitutional Reform
Venezuela is getting
ready to reform the
Constitution to
guarantee socialist
transformation in this
South American country,
as proposed by President
Hugo Chavez in his
election campaign.
According to Deputy and
Constitutionalist
Attorney Carlos Escarra,
a prominent expert on
the issue, President
Chavez will submit his
proposal to the National
Assembly this week to
begin the process
formally.
Although no project has
been made public yet, it
is known that property
will be one of the main
issues to increase the
share of state and
social property over
private property.
The scope of the
initiative has mobilized
the opposition and the
Catholic Church, which
has attributed a close
nature to the reform
process.
The bishops' accusation
contrasts with the
official call to the
entire people, including
the opposition, to
express their criteria.
According to Escarra,
Chavez will present the
project to the National
Assembly on July 24 to
be discussed by the
lawmakers before being
debated by the people
and being voted in a
referendum.
A sector of the
opposition has focused
its attacks on the
project to establish
indefinite or continuous
presidential reelection,
as it exists in other
countries, claiming that
it is antidemocratic.
National Assembly
President Cilia Flores
made it clear that the
draft constitutional
reform will be voted in
a referendum, because
"it will be the people
that will approve it or
not with their vote."
According to Flores, the
presidential reelection,
which will not be
indefinite on time but
continuous, has been
manipulated. "The people
have the last word and
with their vote they
will decide whether it
continues or if
reelection is
implemented or not."
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