> Gel wrote: > What else was included in the proposal other than he could run in > democratic elections again in 2012? >
FYI, from the Wall Street Journal: --------------------------------------------------- * a constitutional reform he sought to expand his executive powers and allow him to stand for election indefinitely. * After long and unexplained delays, election officials announced that Mr. Chávez's proposal had been narrowly defeated in a chaotic press conference after 1 a.m. * "I congratulate my adversaries in their victory," said Mr. Chávez. "We are steeled for a long battle." Mr. Chávez told Venezuelans that a "no" vote was tantamount to treason. * Mr. Chávez also sought power to create new states and appoint governors to run them, as well as powers to spend central-bank reserves. * "This proposal is still alive," Mr. Chávez said in the press conference, as supporters applauded. * The defeat for Mr. Chávez shows how many of his own supporters have soured on his policies amid rising crime and persistent scarcities of basic goods. * High on the list of complaints is food shortages. Mr. Chávez's decision to fix prices has resulted in acute scarcities of many staples. Last week, the government-owned luxury hotel, the Alba, was refusing to serve customers cafe con leche, a Venezuelan breakfast standard. * Government spending was rising at an annual rate of 70% in late 2006, although the rate has since slowed to about 40%. * That helps explain why Mr. Chávez can count on voters such as Marisol Herredia, a 38-year-old hairdresser. She said she was unnerved by how much power the constitutional changes would give Mr. Chávez, but she voted for it anyway, she said. The changes also guarantee her a fixed monthly salary and health insurance, benefits too good to pass up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Create robust enterprise, web RIAs. Upgrade to ColdFusion 8 and integrate with Adobe Flex http://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion/flex2/?sdid=RVJP Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:247443 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
