11/06/2007

News / Opposition offers no alternative

Linked from: http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2007/noviembre/lun5/venezuela.html
Written by: Nidia Díaz

THE Venezuelan political scene is caught up by reports, surveys and opinions concerning the imminent plebiscite on constitutional reforms scheduled by the National Electoral Council (CNE) for December.

The importance of the vote is escaping no one given the intensification, advances and consolidation of the Bolivarian process and its repercussions within the country and across Latin America, the Caribbean and worldwide, taking into consideration the active role of President Hugo Chavez in the international arena.

The future of the Bolivarian Revolution depends in great measure on the results of this national referendum that will democratically propel the very government and the political, social, youth and labor organizations that support and join the Chavista movement in its goal of transformation, moving towards socialism with particular 21st century Venezuelan characteristics.

The old ruling classes dislodged from political power, along with the United States and its network of financial, espionage and subversive agencies, are agitating on television stations and through the press at their service, resurrecting the usual “ghosts” in an attempt to sow doubt and confusion, mixing the most flagrant lies with the most delirious fantasies.

The reforms can be synthesized essentially as follows: the shortening of the work day with the intention of allowing workers more spare time for educational purposes; funds to be made available to the self-employed; the incorporation of established social missions into the constitution; the prohibition of large land holdings and monopolies; guaranteed access to food; state participation in a variety of productive industries; popular power as state power; the option of an indefinite re-election of the president; the creation of Bolivarian armed forces and a socialist democracy; and the legal recognition of five types of property, including private property.

It is significant that since December of 1998 when President Hugo Chávez was elected despite a vicious media campaign against him, there have been 10 elections and the popularity of the leader and the Bolivarian process has not declined, to the despair of the opposition and its U.S. sponsors.

It is noteworthy that differences have emerged within the Catholic hierarchy. Bishops Porras, Luckert and Pérez Morales still cling to the position of the deceased Cardinal Velasco, who signed the document that presumed to legalize the failed April 2002 coup d’état.

On the other hand, priests such as Martín Zapata, rector of Santa Rosa Catholic University and Atencio Vidal from Maracaibo, have distanced themselves from the hierarchy’s official position and have expressed their own opinions.

Several surveys have been conducted recently, such as the one taken from September 6 to 9 in 70 municipalities within 22 states, which indicated a clear advantage for the partisans of reform. In this case, the results were 65.2% in favor of a Yes vote, 28.2% were opposed, and 6.62% undecided or not responding.

According to a report by Alemica Statistical Consultants, 12 of the reforms are widely supported and those with the highest approval ratings are the Social Stability Fund for self-employed workers (78%), the shortening of the work day (69.5%) and presidential re-election (69.3%). Among those questioned, 73% indicated that they intend to participate in the referendum planned for this coming December, while 25.1% said that they will probably, or definitely, not vote.

In addition to the 33 proposals made by President Chávez, 25 were presented this past week as a result of the process of discussion conducted at the grass roots level and within Parliament, which began on August 16, the day after the decision was made to reform the constitution in force since 1999.

More recently, Tibisay Lucena, president of the National Electoral Council, announced that the electoral campaign will begin after the submission to this entity, by the legislature, of the final plan for constitutional reform. At that time, the partisans of a Yes vote and those calling for a No vote must form blocs and only these blocs will be able to campaign.

Within this environment, the opponents of the Venezuelan political and economic right and their U.S. supporters are hoping to heat up the streets, resorting to violence as they have done each time that they have found themselves at a loss for arguments.

Their craving for power, frustrated as a result of hopeless internal division, renders them incapable of articulating a program that represents an alternative to the broad program of the Bolivarian Revolution. The people know these forces and are tired of their empty promises. They themselves delivered the coup de grâce when they trampled over the constitution during the debacle of April 2002.

All indications are that the coming plebiscite will reconfirm the desires already expressed on multiple occasions by the Venezuelan electorate and ratify the popular decision to continue moving forward within the Bolivarian process.


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