Truemors
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took the local opposition by surprise again. On Monday 1 December 2008, the opposition was busy rejoicing small victory at Caracas during local elections and trying to make a case against a new referendum extending Chavez´s tenure in power. Their tentacles at local radio and TV stations moved anchors and opinion makers to back their grievances to no avail. Early in the afternoon, Chavez announced that a Referendum called by his party, PSUV, to reform the constitution would not take long. It might be held early on February 2009. This announcement made the opposition confront a challenging fact. A new political battle for a national referendum had started.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged his supporters on Monday to move quickly on organizing a vote on abolishing term limits _ a change that could clear the way for him to stay in office another decade. The socialist president, who was first elected a decade ago, sought to abolish term limits last year, but Venezuelan voters rejected the measure in a package of proposed constitutional changes.
Analysts say Chavez is seeking another vote quickly because he hopes to capitalize on his current popularity in the face of a reinvigorated opposition and falling oil prices, which could force him to cut public spending in Venezuela's oil-dependent economy. In a televised speech, Chavez called for members of his party to start work this month in petitioning for a constitutional change that would let him run again in 2012. Chavez said he wanted the constitution amended in «December and January _ quick and well-done. «The truth is I wouldn't like to spend 2009 in a debate, a long campaign,» he said. «Today the battle for the constitutional amendment begins. It's unclear how soon the referendum could be held asking voters whether to approve the change. The new attempt to do away with term limits is expected to open a new front for tensions between government-backers and their rivals _ many of whom warn that Chavez wants to be president for life. If Chavez were to run again and win in 2012, he could be in office until 2019. Chavez's candidates won a majority of races in local elections last month but the opposition gained ground, winning key races. «While the opposition scored impressive victories in the recent regional elections, Chavez's candidates still won the majority of votes nationwide, so a bid to allow re-election could certainly prevail in 2009,» said John Walsh, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, a non-governmental organization. «And with declining oil prices threatening to harm the Venezuelan economy, better from Chavez's perspective to act sooner rather than later. After reaching a historic high of high of almost $150 a barrel over the summer, oil is currently trading below $50 a barrel. Oil provides roughly half of government revenue in Venezuela.
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