Venezuela’s socialist party will evaluate whether to present a plan next year to propose amending the Constitution to approve indefinite presidential rule, President Hugo Chávez said on Monday.
”It’s the people’s right [to decide on the issue]. We’ll see if the people use this right, and if all the country approves it or not, if there is a referendum,” Chávez said, almost a year after narrowly losing a vote on extending his powers.
Chávez said he would not personally promote such a reform, but said that his party could do it during 2009.
”I’ve said I’m not going to introduce or ask for any constitutional reform regarding presidential re-election. What I can’t avoid is if someone else does it.”
”From February 2, I have four more years of government,” said Chávez, who came to prominence when he led a failed coup attempt in 1992 and was first elected almost 10 years ago.
”I’m going to speed up the pace in these four years to carry out the Bolivarian socialist project,” the leftist leader said.
Chávez’s party scored a string of victories in key local polls Sunday, but in a blow to his socialist revolution, the opposition won some major power centres. — AFP, Reuters