[R-G] Fwd: [Hands Off Venezuela] Constitutional Reform to Construct a New "Bolivarian" Democracy in Venezuela

[aaron at istop.com]

Forwarded From: Hands Off Venezuela <info at handsoffvenezuela.org>

> http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno$00
> 
> Constitutional Reform to Construct a New "Bolivarian" Democracy in Venezuela
> Tuesday, Aug 28, 2007
> 
> By: Chris Carlson - Venezuelanalysis.com
> 
> Caracas, August 28, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com ) — Venezuelan President
> Hugo Chavez assured last Sunday that his proposed reforms to the national
> constitution have the intention of constructing a new "Bolivarian"
> democracy in the country. During his Sunday TV and radio program Aló
> Presidente, President Chavez emphasized that increased power and
> participation from the people, as well as a change in the organizational
> structure of the country are important reforms in the construction of a
> new model of democracy.
> 
> "The new 'Bolivarian' democracy is beginning to be built here," said
> Chavez at the beginning of his Sunday TV program that this time lasted for
> 7 hours.
> 
> The Venezuelan president hosted the program from the eastern coast of the
> country, where he met with a local communal council. It is these community
> organizations that Chavez has proposed to strengthen in the constitutional
> reform, making them one of the principal powers of the government, along
> with the executive, judicial, legislative, and electoral powers.
> 
> Chavez said that as a component of the national constitution, the communal
> councils would become the "nucleus" of the government and financing for
> the community organizations would be included in the national budget.
> 
> "I propose that we include the communal councils in the national budget
> and that we begin with a minimum of 5 percent of the whole budget," said
> the president, explaining his proposals for constitutional reform. "That
> is the proposal that we are working on," he said.
> 
> "Until now the transfer of resources to the communal councils is subject
> to a decision from the President of the Republic, governors, or mayors.
> The new proposal means that from now on part of the national resources
> will be assigned to the organized communities," he explained. Chavez
> denied that this change would weaken state governors or municipal
> governments, saying that regional powers would be strengthened with the
> reforms.
> 
> The president went on to explain his proposals to reform the
> organizational structure of the country. In what is known as "the new
> geometry of power," the constitutional reform would make communities,
> communes, and cities the basic units into which the national territory
> would be divided.
> 
> "We have to be very clear about the proposal for the new political and
> territorial organization of the country that really has to do with
> communal power and how we will be organized politically across national
> territory," he said.
> 
> According to Chavez, organized communities would be the primary nucleus of
> the government. Each community would be made up of a communal council, and
> the association of several communal councils would make up a commune.
> These communes, according to Chavez, would represent the "territorial
> social cell."
> 
> As an example, the president used the surrounding community to explain the
> proposal. The community, Valle Seco, which is made up of 126 families,
> together with the surrounding communities of La Lagna, El Cumbrito and El
> Chaparro de Guanta, would make up a commune. This commune, joined to other
> neighboring communes, would make up the basic territorial unit, the city.
> 
> Chavez also explained the proposal to create federal districts and federal
> territories in spaces that have previously been abandoned. In this
> respect, he referred to Venezuela's offshore territories where he is
> proposing to construct artificial islands to take advantage of the
> resources in this territory such as minerals, fishing, gas, petroleum, and
> ecological wealth.
> 
> Criticisms From the Opposition
> 
> The president once again defended his proposal for constitutional reform
> against criticisms from the opposition, which he accused of distorting the
> truth.
> 
> "The opposition had been saying for six months that I would propose the
> elimination of private property," he said. "They were hit with the
> surprise of the century because I am proposing and saying that several
> types of property will be recognized here, among them private property."
> Chavez criticized the press for trying to manipulate the proposal by
> saying that private property was being marginalized by the proposed
> reform.
> 
> "I'm sure nobody at this stage of the game will be confused or afraid of
> that," he stated.
> Chavez also responded to criticisms of his proposal to remove term limits
> on the presidency when asked about this reform by a journalist from
> London's The Guardian. Chavez referred to Europe as the "kingdom of
> cynicism" given that his reform is criticized in Europe even though many
> European nations do not have term limits either.
> 
> "They are making a big deal because here we are proposing that the people
> decide about something that has existed in Europe for centuries," he said.
> 
> Chavez referred to some of the countries in Europe that do not have term
> limits including Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, and Greece. Chavez also
> criticized the fact that many European nations have royalty that is not
> elected by anyone, and asked the journalist from The Guardian why the
> European nations don't allow the people to vote on their political or
> economic systems as they do in Venezuela.
> 
> "European journalists are going crazy here saying Chavez wants to stay in
> power when over there they still have kings and queens that no one elects,
> they are hereditary," he said. "In Great Britain the prime ministers can
> be reelected as many times as the people want to reelect them and they are
> worried because here we want to implement the same thing with the
> consultation of the people."
> 
> "Here if you want to change a single comma of the constitution you cannot
> do it without the approval of the people in a national referendum. It is
> the people who are in charge here. I wish in Europe they would do that. I
> wish they would consult the people about the economic and political
> systems there," he said.
> 
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