Why Hugo Chávez was given more authority

[Judi Lynn]

Week of Feb. 08 to Feb. 14, 2007

Why Hugo Chávez was given more authority

By Maria Páez Victor, PhD.

This week the parliament of Venezuela gave President Hugo Chávez the authority to pass laws by decree for the next 18 months on 10 issues of domestic importance. This type of power has a time limit and an issue limit and is specifically allowed by Article 203 of the Venezuelan constitution.

It is not the first time President Chávez has been allowed this prerogative. Twice before he was given such powers, according to this constitutional provision, and he carried out the duties allowed to him by the parliament without any misstep or abuse of power.

A close look at Venezuelan history shows that this power, also enshrined in the past constitution, was given to presidents Rómulo Betancourt (1959) Carlos Andrés Pérez (1974), Jaime Lusinchi (1984) and Ramon Jose Velázquez (1993) to carry out decisions related to finance, external debt and creation of new state institutions among others. However, since these presidents were in friendly terms with the White House, there was no decrying of an erosion of Venezuelan democracy then.

In fact, during the past 40 years, and during previous presidential terms, glaring abuses of human rights have been committed in the country but not one word of protest or concern was uttered by Washington.
(snip/...)

http://www.progresoweekly.com/index.php?progreso=Maria_Paez&otherweek=1170914400

Thanks to DU'er Say_What for sharing this material.

[napi21]

1. Well, at lease his parliment GAVE him the powers!

Hell of a lot better than what we ahve HERE! Our Prez. jjust TAKES any power he wants, AND abuss it!

Twice before he was given such powers, according to this constitutional provision, and he carried out the duties allowed to him by the parliament without any misstep or abuse of power.

THAT one line in the article really amazed me! Our Prez abuses powers that he doesn't legally have, and he does it ALL THE TIME! GRRRRR

[Missy M]

2. Great article.....

I don't know how people can read something like this and still claim Chavez is becoming a dictator.

[On the Road]

3. The Omission was Inexusable

Even the NPR report simply said that Chavez had been granted dictratorial powers. No references to a limit on scope or timing, no historical context.

[HamdenRice]

4. People who claim this is dictatorial don't understand Parliamentary systems

I'm not sure how Venezuela's system works, but the article mentions a "parliament."

Almost all parliamentary systems are temporary "elected dictatorships." The party that wins the majority in Parliament gets to choose the prime minister, who in turn, chooses his cabinet. The prime minister then submits bills to parliament where he has a guaranteed majority.

If parliament fails to pass one bill, the government falls prematurely and elections are held. In other words, the prime minister always gets his laws passed, or his government ends. So giving a prime minister the power to rule by decree is somewhat redundant.

I am puzzled that Venezuela as a parliament and a president rather than a prime minister, however.

[Cha]

5. THe bushites and their echo

chamber don't care about no stinkin' Human Rights. They just want to make sure that the Leftist President of Venezuela(tons of oil) gets out of the big picture so they can inset one of their puppets..kinda of Latino bushtard.

Have I got the scenario down?