President Hugo Chavez wants to do away with presidential term limitations.

news.yahoo.com...

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez was presenting his blueprint Wednesday for sweeping constitutional changes expected to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely, a move his critics call a threat to democracy.

Chavez, who is seeking to transform Venezuelan society along socialist lines, announced late Tuesday that he would unveil his proposal before crowds of supporters at the National Assembly. He predicted it would bring renewed political upheaval to Venezuela.

Chavez's political allies firmly control the National Assembly, which is expected to approve the plan within months. It then would have to be approved by citizens in a national referendum.

Chavez has revealed few details of his proposal, but has stressed the need to do away with presidential term limits that currently prevent him from seeking re-election in 2012.

This ain't democracy. Its dictatorship. He wants to be president for life.

Poor Venezuelians are between a rock and a hard place now. Sheesh. First years under control of the wealthy elite (backed by corporate interests), now him...

I hope nobody is surprised by this.

It isn't democracy?

Chavez's political allies firmly control the National Assembly, which is expected to approve the plan within months. It then would have to be approved by citizens in a national referendum.

Which would probably pass.

He and his supporters say democracy has flourished under his administration, noting he has repeatedly won elections by wide margins.

BTW, Canada doesn't have term limits and this country hasn't fallen apart.... yet.

Democracy doesn't necessarily equal freedom: it's entirely possible to have an elected totalitarian government - ask the Nazis.

People who dislike what Bush is doing in the US seem to like Chavez, but they are IMHO opposite sides of the same coin - both demagogues seeking to increase their power.

So far, Chavez seems to have been a lot more successful at it, but as far as I can see that's the only major difference.

Well he has been doing good for his country, and if he thinks that the people
want him to continue as president, I don't see why he should'nt do this, I mean it's
not like he can just do it himself or anything.

Personally I think every elected position should have term limits, but that's just me,
and I really can't use my own country as some shining example of that, I mean yeah
we have presidential term limits (originally we did'nt) but that's pretty much the
only position that does have them.

If the people of Venezuela want Hugo Chávez to continue being the president
(meaning they support him and his goals) than they will vote in favor of this.


Of course assuming they do vote yes (I suspect they will) there will still be right-wingers,
Neocons and others who don't like him saying the vote was rigged.

People who dislike what Bush is doing in the US seem to like Chavez,

I dislike Bush's decisions and ideology, but I don't mind him as a person, does
that count as not liking him?

[edit on 8/15/2007 by iori_komei]

I dislike Bush's decisions and ideology, but I don't mind him as a person, does
that count as not liking him?

Yes, and I'd consider myself as being in the same boat.

As far as Chavez "doing good" in Venezuela, well what he's doing is probably popular, but IMHO "popular" and "good" are quite different things.

Whet he seems to be doing, chiefly, is consolidating his power and deriding his opposition as "traitors" - sound familiar?

Demagoguery is not a political vice exclusive to either the left or the right, indeed both seem quite prone to it...