Chavez to Propose Removing His Term Limits

[MonkeyFunk]

Chávez to Propose Removing His Term Limits


By SIMON ROMERO
Published: August 15, 2007
CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug. 14 — President Hugo Chávez will unveil a project to change the Constitution on Wednesday that is expected to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely, a move that would enhance his authority to accelerate a socialist-inspired transformation of Venezuelan society.

The removal of term limits for Mr. Chávez, which is at the heart of the proposal, is expected to be accompanied by measures circumscribing the authority of elected governors and mayors, who would be prevented from staying in power indefinitely, according to versions of the project leaked in recent weeks.

Willian Lara, the communications minister, said Mr. Chávez would announce the project before the National Assembly, where all 167 lawmakers support the president. Supporters of Mr. Chávez, who was re-elected last year with some 60 percent of the vote, also control the Supreme Court, the entire federal bureaucracy, public oil and infrastructure companies and every state government but two.

The aim of the overhaul is “to guarantee to the people the largest amount of happiness possible,” Mr. Lara said at a news conference on Tuesday.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/world/americas/15venez.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[ananda]

1. Is that good?

nt

[speakclearly]

20. He has already managed to get a number of changes

to promote socialism in his country. For instance, he was given powers by the parliment to make changes to existing law without obtaining parlimentary approval.
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/47495/
He has nationalized many industries:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/14/business/chavez.php
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/05/business/LA-FIN-Venezuela-Nationalizations.php
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/n/nationalization_of_industry/index.html?query=CHAVEZ,%20HUGO&field=per&match=exact
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/n/nationalization_of_industry/index.html?query=CHAVEZ,%20HUGO&field=per&match=exact
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010801668.html
He has made it illegal for any citizen or foreign visitor to be critical of him or his government:
http://muevete.wordpress.com/2007/08/03/in-venezuela-speak-no-ill-of-hugo/
http://movies.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=264067
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20030210/ai_n11377454
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0705/p06s01-woam.html
He has closed all opposition telephones, television, radio, and newspapers:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8IVBO100&show_article=1
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/n/nationalization_of_industry/index.html?query=CHAVEZ,%20HUGO&field=per&match=exact
http://telcom2935.blogspot.com/2007/01/nationalization-of-cantv.html
Other than that, he is a wonderful leader who enjoys the vast support of the poor in his country. He has even helped the "coca-farmers" who plant and harvest the coca leaf for production into refined cocaine (for medicinal purposes only).
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5125721
http://fairuse.100webcustomers.com/fairenough/latimes809.html

[Bryan Buchan]

2. Just when I was starting to like Chavez

He wants to be a dictator?

[Richard D]

3. Damn.

Not good. I know what you mean.

[Balbus]

4. If the people keep re-electing him, what does it matter?

I'm no Chavez fan by a long shot, but I really haven't heard anything verifiable that Venezuelan elections aren't legitimate and if the majority of people keep voting for him over and over and over, isn't that their choice?

[Beelzebud]

6. Does it matter if the voting is rigged?

[Balbus]

8. Hence my statement:

"I really haven't heard anything verifiable that Venezuelan elections aren't legitimate..."

Have you heard anything?

[Beelzebud]

11. Maybe not now, but how about 20 years from now?

Excuse me for not blinding trusting what a political leader tries to get away with.

[Balbus]

12. Then, of course, it's a problem.

But I'm not going to criticize him for this because of what might be found in 20 years from now. And again, I reiterate - I'm no Chavez fan. I've criticized this asshat dozens of times in dozens of other threads. But for this, I can't find fault at the moment. FDR got elected by us over and over and over and over again, and it turned out to be a pretty good deal for us. Well, unless you were a Japanese-American.

[jojo54]

5. Hey Chavez, don't go giving King George any ideas!!!! eom

[Forkboy]

7. I'll say it once again: Good! Term limits suck and are undemocratic.

If the people want to keep voting for someone they should have the right too.I'd hate to see Ted Kennedy leave when over 70% of the residents here keep voting for him.We'd probably end up with a jelly brain in his place. :)

[TZ]

9. Meh.

People also kept electing Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond again over and over. I personally think reasonable term limits are a good thing.

[Forkboy]

13. And in a democracy they should have every right to keep electing them.

If that's who they want to represent them then that's who they should be able to vote for.Term limits take the choice away from the people and force a change that may not be welcome.Whether we personally like those individuals is irrelevant.It's democracy. :shrug:

[TZ]

16. here's a theoretical for you

another attack on US makes Chimpy popular again. Something happens and Chimpy can run again. Very likely he would win. Would you still be for no term limits?
Yes I can see your point, however, having lived in a metro area where a corrupt politician got elected again and again and agian ( through ignorance and extreme cronyism) and did great damage to that self same city and nearly cost them their right to decided things for themselves, I have come to see the value in term limits. In other words term limits is a kind of check and balance I think

[Forkboy]

17. I'd still be against them.

If Bush were to win an election (it would be his first actual victory :) ) then we'd deserve whatever we got.It's up to the people to make informed decisions.We fail that a lot,but the mistake is with us,not the democracy itself.The power of the vote is the single biggest aspect of our democracy,and really the only "voice" most of us have.Term limits take that voice away from us.

[MonkeyFunk]

10. But he's removing term limits only for himself

Governors and mayors would still be limited.

[Forkboy]

15. Yeah,I'm not crazy about that part.

But as long as the elections are held,and fair,if the people want Chavez to stay in power that's their business.

Besides,I'm more worried about the potential dictator in our own country. :)

[spanone]

14. Suddenly, junior pays attention!!!

[RB TexLa]

18. Was there anyone who didn't think he was going to do this?

This article could have been written last year, not a hard prediction to make.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. If It Smells Like Shit, Looks Like Shit, And Acts Like Shit, Then It's Probably A Piece Of Shit.

Yup. Just another run of the mill piece of shit that fucker is.