Posted on 08/25/2003 7:24:44 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela's Supreme Court did not meet a self-imposed deadline Sunday for naming a new elections authority that could organize a possible referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule.
Chavez, speaking during his weekly television show, said a consensus within the court broke down after some judges were pressured by opposition members to appoint a biased panel to the National Electoral Council, or CNE.
"I am sure that the Supreme Court will defeat the conspiration campaign ... to try to get a CNE named that is subordinate to that gross oligarchy," Chavez said.
He blamed the opposition-aligned commercial television channels for attacking independent candidates and trying to manipulate the court's decision-making process.
Chavez opponents have turned in 2.7 million signatures demanding a referendum on ending Chavez's tumultuous presidency. Venezuela's constitution allows citizens to demand a referendum halfway into a president's term.
Chavez just passed the midpoint of his six-year term.
The Supreme Court gave itself 10 days to decide on CNE members after four months of discussions in the National Assembly proved fruitless.
An announcement could be made Monday, a court spokeswoman said.
He doesn't have the numbers so he is signaling permission to resort to violence, something he's repeated done.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gestures during a rally to show opponents pushing for his ouster that the Venezuelan leader still commands high support among the nation's poor majority in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2003.(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
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