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08/13/2004
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The Civic Movements of Latin America and the
Caribbean, parties to the Lima Agreement, all with
broad experience in election issues forged through
domestic electoral observation, express our solidarity
with the Venezuelan people who, this August 15 have
been called to participate in the presidential
revocatory referendum that will be crucial for the
political stability of Venezuela and of the American
continent as a whole. |
With
regard to such an important event we must inform the
following to the Venezuelan public opinion and the whole
world:
1. That the will of the Venezuelan citizens, through their
vote next August 15, must be respected for it constitutes
the most sovereign expression of the people. It is,
therefore, necessary that all the guarantees foreseen by
the laws and the constitution are met.
2. The transparency of the process is fundamental and must
be guaranteed by the Consejo Electoral Nacional
(National Elections Board) and reinforced not only by
domestic but also by international observation. It is
necessary that the authorities offer broad and free access
to information and to the polling stations before, during,
and after August 15.
3. In such an agitated context in which the revocatory
process takes place, it will be significantly important
for law enforcement entities to fulfill their
constitutional duties, acting timely and with
responsibility in case of any unrest or violent act aiming
at impairing the election process.
4. We reiterate our conviction that domestic and
international observation must play a first order role in
the presidential revocatory referendum; it is necessary
for the electoral authorities to guarantee and ensure the
best conditions for the observers to fulfill their mission
according to the established domestic and international
standards. No access or mobility restrictions shall be
imposed upon domestic and international observation. This
will contribute to make an objective and independent
judgment on all phases of the election process, thus
gaining the much needed legitimacy for the national and
international public opinion to recognize and accept the
result.
5. Given the characteristics of the Venezuelan election
system, particularly regarding the electronic voting
technology, the expectation is that the results can be
known rapidly. The timing in which the results are known
will be a determinant factor to ensure their legitimacy
and to guarantee post-electoral stability and reliability.
The Lima Agreement will continue to follow up closely the
course of the Venezuelan election process and to promote
the generation of a qualified public opinion on Venezuela
in each one of our countries.
Lima,
August
13 2004
Full
members
Argentina – Poder Ciudadano
Chile – Participa
Colombia – Red de Paz Viva la Ciudadanía
Ecuador – Participación Ciudadana
El Salvador – COCIVICA
Guatemala – Acción Ciudadana
Guyana – Electoral Assistance Bureau
Haiti – Conseil National D’Observation
Jamaica – Citizens Action for Free and Fair Election
Mexico – Movimiento Ciudadano por la Democracia
Mexico – Alianza Cívica
Nicaragua – Ética y Transparencia
Panama - Justicia y Paz
Paraguay – Decidamos
Peru – Transparencia
Dominican Republic – Participación Ciudadana
Venezuela – Momento de la Gente
Associate Members
Costa Rica – Centro de Asesoría y Promoción Electoral
The United States of America – National Democratic
Institute
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