Venezuela’s Electoral Council Presents Rules for Constitutional Reform Referendum

Caracas, October 31, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com) - As Venezuela's National Assembly was putting the final touches to the proposed constitutional reforms Tuesday, the National Electoral Council announced a series of measures to facilitate and regulate the constitutional reform referendum. Since the final constitutional reform proposal is to be passed by the National Assembly on November 2 and a referendum is supposed to be scheduled within 30 days after that, the referendum is likely to take place on December 2.

In addition to 350 electoral norms that must be followed by all groups campaigning in the referendum, the Electoral Council (CNE) plan includes a proposal to both opposition and pro-government political parties for a series of nationally televised debates, to be moderated by the CNE that would be held over the four Sundays leading up to the referendum.

The debate would involve equal representation from groups opposing or supporting the reforms, including among others, the opposition parties Movement towards Socialism, COPEI, A New Era, Justice First, and pro-government parties and organizations such as Homeland for All, the Zamora Command (group initiated by Chavez to campaign for a ‘Yes' vote) and the Communist Party of Venezuela.

In a meeting with party representatives yesterday, CNE rectors Victor Diez and Germán Yépez said the four basic principles for the debates would be respect, plurality, tolerance, and balance and that participants in the debates should abide by these four principles.

Yépez emphasized that the CNE views it as very important that the Venezuelan people know the content and the effects of each of the 69 articles that comprise the proposed constitutional reform.

In addition to the initial 33 changes proposed by President Chavez on August 15, the National Assembly has proposed changes to a further 36 articles. If adopted, the reforms would allow for presidential reelection, "states of emergency" that would restrict the right to information, as well as recognizing the social "missions," community projects that Venezuela's poor in areas like health and education as part of the country's state.

They also include a series of other measures, such a reduction in the workweek to 36 hours, make it easier for the government nationalize companies, and give workers in the informal sector the right to social security. The reforms would also enshrine the role of institutions of "popular power", which Chavez has said would constitute the "the basic nucleus of the socialist state".

The CNE has also said that the campaign can only be carried out by political parties and organizations that register with the CNE. At present eighteen different citizens groups have registered with the CNE to campaign in the referendum. The CNE has said the organizations should group themselves in blocs campaigning for a ‘Yes' and ‘No' vote.

While the CNE will regulate campaign material in the referendum it will not regulate information about the content of the reforms in the media.

However, in a meeting with the editors of Venezuela's major daily newspapers Últimas Noticias, El Mundo, Diario VEA, El Nacional, Notitarde, La Calle, El Aragueño, El Siglo, 2001, The Daily Journal, and Panorama, on October 24, CNE director Tibisay Lucena said the role of the media is to disseminate the content of the reform in a responsible and balanced fashion.

In response to a question by media representatives in relation to opinion columns, Lucena confirmed these would not be regulated by the CNE, "We are not censuring anyone. In Venezuela there is freedom of expression and it will continue existing. Peoples opinions are their opinions."

Additionally she said the media could carry out opinion polls, and consult the population until seven days before the referendum as is the established practice in Venezuelan elections.

The CNE also carried out a test of Venezuela's electronic voting system on October 27 and confirmed that it is functioning with normality.

Published on Oct 31st 2007 at 3.52pm