Chavez --President For Life?

[CHUQ]

looks like Hugo is getting his way.


CARACAS, Venezuela --
Venezuela's National Assembly, dominated by allies of President Hugo Chavez, gave unanimous initial approval Tuesday to constitutional reforms that would allow him to run for re-election and possibly govern for decades to come.

Assembly President Cilia Flores said Chavez's proposed changes to the constitution, including the lifting of presidential term limits, were approved by all 167 lawmakers after about six hours of debate.

Final approval is expected within two or three months, and voters will then decide whether to approve the changes in a referendum


LINK (http://www.thestate.com/372/story/152295.html)

[iris in stones]

looks like Hugo is getting his way.


CARACAS, Venezuela --
Venezuela's National Assembly, dominated by allies of President Hugo Chavez, gave unanimous initial approval Tuesday to constitutional reforms that would allow him to run for re-election and possibly govern for decades to come.


But that's only possibly, it's not probably, nor is it set in stone.
I don't know how badly this man wants to be a dictator, but if he rules with no opposition, he certainly is no democrat.

[CHUQ]

Iris I will agree with you but he is doing more for the common person than anyone has in the past. Incomes are up, work days shorter, healthcare good, education, and to beat all industrial production for last month was up 11.2%. If he keeps up this pace the people will keep him whether there is an opposition or not, IMO.

[iris in stones]

That's right. And those are facts that certain ideologues would rather you not mention to the American public.
Speaking for myself, I don't fear Mr. Chavez or his ideology.
Ultimately, he is responsible for what he does. And given his record, I think he knows it.

[Odessa]

It's not president for life. The democracy in Venezuela would put ours to shame. We used to have no term limits either, and you'll remember that we elected a president 4 times. The French don't have presidential term limits either, does that mean either France or Venezuela is a dictatorship? Of course not.

[Stanley]

Term limits are only as welcomed as long as the public approve of their presidents handling of their nation, wether that leader is acting on behalf of his nations best interest, with policies backed with sound intelligence.
Would anyone deny that the greater portion of America are not saying to themselves, thanks God for term limits and how quickly can it rid itself of Bush and Cheney?

[CHUQ]

I think that term limits were put in so that the US would not have political dynasties. Wait! If Clinton is elected we will have had either a Clinton or a Bush in the White House for close to 25 years. That sounds like political dynasties to me.

[CHUQ]

we will see just how concerned he is with the wishes of the people.


President Hugo Chavez is trailing ahead of a key vote on constitutional reforms, according to a new poll Saturday that shows opponents of the changes ahead by a strong margin.

The survey was conducted by Caracas polling firm Datanalisis, whose polls ahead of past votes have consistently matched Chavez's electoral victories. It found about 49% of likely voters oppose Chavez's reforms, well ahead of 39% who favor the changes.

"Chavez has never gone into an election without being an overwhelming majority from the beginning," Datanalisis pollster Luis Vicente Leon told The Associated Press. "This is the first time it's reversed."

Published in the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal, the poll surveyed 1,854 Venezuelans nationwide on Nov. 14-20. The poll's margin of error was 2.5 percentage points.

Among all respondents — both those who said they planned to vote and otherwise — the margin against Chavez's constitutional changes was even wider, with nearly 45% opposed and 31% in favor.


LINK (http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-11-24-venezuela_N.htm)