More Than 4 Million Signatures Collected Against Opposition Lawmakers

Caracas, Nov 26 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- Today, the Fifth Republic Movement party (MVR) will hand in more than 4.234.776 signatures from 2.669.684 signers to the National Electoral Council, according to the Ayacucho group which organized the petition drive to request recall referenda on 38 opposition lawmakers.

According to the group created by the political parties that support President Chavez, the number signatures per district is enough to request recall referenda on 37 of the 38 National Assembly deputies whose mandate they sought to revoke.

Ismael Garcia, director of the Ayacucho group, indicated during a press conference that in an universe of 8.580.035 persons registered with the Permanent National Registry (those allowed to vote), they collected 4.234.776 signatures, using 66% de the petitions given to them by the National Electoral Council (CNE).

The CNE has the last word on the matter, according to Garcia, who added that it can be assured that the verification of signatures will allow the CNE to call for referenda on 37 opposition lawmakers.

Garcia said the “the signature drive proved once again the democratic ideals of the Venezuelan people, the consolidation of chavismo as a democratic and organized force, and a new electoral victory for the Chavez camp, the 10th in a row.”

Garcia referred to the 7 electoral processes won by President Chavez or the coalition of parties that support him, the defeat of the coup d’etat of April 2002, the defeat of the bosses strike and sabotage of the oil industry last December and January, and the recent student body election at Central University of Venezuela, a mostly middle and upper middle-class campus though to be mostly hostile to Chavez’s government.

“These results a prelude of the upcoming elections”, said Garcia.

Several lawmaker that won their election on the Chavez ticket, received twice the amount of signatures required to request recall referenda on their mandates.

The numbers of signatures to revoke the mandate of some prominent opposition National Assembly deputies were twice the number of votes they received when they were elected.

Opposition will collect their signatures to request a recall referendum on Chavez’s mandate starting this Friday until Monday of next week.