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Venezuela voters approve amendment abolishing presidential term limits

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Venezuelan voters approved a constitutional amendment abolishing presidential term limits in a national referendum Sunday. President of the National Electoral Council (CNE) Tibisay Lucena reported that the amendment passed with 54.36 percent of the vote and went on to congratulate Venezuelans on the high voter turnout and orderliness of the voting. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declared victory and announced that he will run again in 2012. Chavez said that he is primarily happy with the result because it will allow the government to focus on the three R's - revision, rectification and revolutionary reinvigoration - by combating insecurity, corruption, wastefulness, and bureaucracy. Venezuelans rejected a similar measure in 2007 when it was included in a package of sweeping constitutional reforms. The constitutional amendment was passed by the Venezuelan National Assembly last month but had to pass the referendum before taking effect. The vote has divided the country with thousands gathering in Caracas to protest the amendment earlier this month and supporters submitting a petition signed by almost five million people endorsing the amendment late last year.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 16, 2009 (boomark / email).