Revocation in progress

Ernesto Amador

· 01 Jun 2021

Revocation in progress

#politics All posts and judiciaries of popular election are revocable”. Thus begins article 72 of the Venezuelan Constitution, which further explains that this referendum process is active “after half the period” for which the official was elected, whose application must be made by a number of not less than 20% of registered voters.

This was the appeal of political scientist Nicmer Evans, former governor César Pérez Vivas and a group of citizens grouped under the “Venezuelan Movement for Revocatory (Mover)” last May 25.

The first request: that they be accepted as a movement to push for a recall against Nicolás Maduro. The second step is for the National Electoral Council (CNE) to decide whether half of the period has elapsed, as stated in the Constitution.

This proposal has been working for months, reveals Evans in an interview with the alliance Provea — TalCual. “Since that instance, we have been analysing all political, legal and international scenarios to follow up and activate the review in relation to the schedule for the activation of the referendum”.

The also president of the Movement for Democracy and Inclusion (MDI) points out that after analyzing all the scenarios, they opted for the formation of the group of citizens because of the variety that constitutes their group and the current issues - such as negotiation - that occupy the main opposition political parties.

They are supported by 50 per cent of public opinion, while 30 per cent would be doubtful whether or not to participate is such a referendum, says Evans.

“The public opinion matrices that have been generated after we presented it to the CNE have been important, more and more people are adding among intellectuals, academics and politicians. The Faculty of Political and Legal Sciences of the UCV issued a pronouncement requesting that the endorsing processes be incorporated into the processes of negotiation and activation of the opposition”.

“Now the ball is on the CNE court,” says the political scientist.

— Do you trust the CNE to accept this proposal?

— Not trying it would be worse. By this I express that we know the difficulties that exist with regard to the rational and legal statement on the proposal we have made. Our arguments are very basic and principled, it is based on the rules created by the regime itself and therefore it is difficult for them to avoid an answer in this regard.

Nicolás Maduro advanced the elections called by the national constituent assembly, and four days later he swore in before this body that calls the election.

In addition, the ANC was recognized as supra-constitutional by Maduro himself, and this implies that there is a constitutional exception in relation to the case of his oath, despite the fact that the Constitution establishes periods where the President's swear is January 10 to the year immediately after the election; however, in this case, was sworn in before a supra-constitutional body.