Word: referendum
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...calculating new Chancellor of the Republic, an Austrian named Adolf Hitler, made sure that German democracy ceased to exist after that election. Almost 76 years later, on February 15, 2009, Venezuelans will face a similar vote in a referendum proposed by President Hugo Chávez to allow him to “seek re-election indefinitely.” In order to preserve their democracy, they ought...
...This is not the first time Chávez has attempted to perpetuate himself in power. Two years ago, he proposed a referendum to modify the constitution to allow him to seek unlimited re-election and better implant his version of “21st-century socialism”. He argued that the Venezuelan constitution constrained his grip on power in a way that prevented his model society from coming to fruition...
...This year alone, the opposition in Venezuela estimates that there will be a $30 billion gap between planned state spending and income. As the referendum looms, he has refused to cut down on spending; instead, he has shamelessly plunged into Venezuela’s foreign currency reserves. According to some reports, he has already spent close to a third of the central bank’s assets. These unsustainable spending patterns would effectively doom the country’s future in the event of a crisis in confidence like the one that would follow a Chávez victory next...
...Chávez is attempting to delay the painful but inevitable hard choices in the sphere of Venezuelan political economy until after the referendum. Much like the German parliamentary elections of 1933, this referendum is a high-stakes gamble for absolute political hegemony. With his grip on state power, it would be very hard to remove him democratically once indefinite re-election is constitutionally allowed. So nothing less than Venezuela’s democratic institutions are on the line. But, if Venezuelans manage to reject Chavez’s delusions of autocracy once more, there will most likely...
...last? Poor Venezuelans know from experience the pain of the bust that follows a boom, and with oil hovering around $40 a barrel some of Chávez's socialist agenda will surely face cuts after the referendum. Many people have begun asking why the radical who so boldly stands up to the U.S. can't confront the violent crime that plagues the country and leaves scores dead each weekend. "I know in my heart that life is better here than it was 10 years ago," says Tobías Caravallo, 42, who owns an electronics repair shop...