Venezuelan Parliament calls for Consitutional amendment

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Venezuelan Parliament calls for Consitutional amendment

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Caracas, Venezuela, 9 December 2009. During an unexpected televised message, the Venezuelan National Assembly -Parliament- informed Venezuelans of the beginnig of the discussion of a Constitutional amedment on December 18, 2008.  This proposed amedment would allow the idefinite re election of any Venezuelan President. In the current historical context, this amedment would also pave the way for incumbent President Hugo Chavez to continue in office if the leaderless and divided local opposition cannot find a challenging candidate in elecions due in 2012.

The amedment would now be discussed at length in a Parliament dominated by the governing party -PSUV. If a final text is approved by the the end of 2008 or begining of next year, a national referendum would be held by February or early March 2009.

The local opposition has been voicing concerns over the amedment on rather weak grounds or self defeating arguments. It  has said the proposed amedment goes against the constitution itself or the thinking of the Father of the Nation, Simon Bolivar. It has claimed Chavez was introducing this amedment just before the global economic crisis could diminish his surprisingly high popularity or harm the official social policies.

Sources: VTV, Unionradio, Globovision, El Universal,