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(2004/C 88 E/0162)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3609/03

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE), Marco Cappato (NI), Giovanni Fava (PSE), Glyn Ford (PSE), Sérgio Marques (PPE-DE) and Emilio Menéndez del Valle (PSE) to the Commission

(5 December 2003)

Subject:   Sending EU observers to Venezuela

The social, political and economic events in Venezuela over the last three years have had an adverse effect on the country's inhabitants and democratic institutions and been causing the international community increasing concern and seriously jeopardising democratic life, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human and civil rights.

Consistent with its action in other parts of the world, the European Union has the task of promoting dialogue aimed at finding a peaceful negotiated solution to the current crisis in Venezuela.

In view of the fact that a referendum may be held in the next few months in accordance with the provisions of the Venezuelan Constitution, if a sufficient number of people support it, an unequivocal position needs to be adopted quickly.

Can the Commission, in agreement with the Venezuelan government and the opposition, arrange for expert electoral observers to be sent as soon as the required signatures are collected — probably by the end of November — in order to ensure that the referendum is held in a correct and proper manner, at all stages both before and during the poll?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(15 January 2004)

The Union, in several Declarations, has emphasised the need for a peaceful, democratic, constitutional and electoral solution to the political crisis in Venezuela. Moreover, the Commission has offered financial and technical assistance for the implementation of the Agreement reached between the government and the opposition on 29 May 2003. In order to do so, the Commission has signed a project to assist the Organisation of American States (OAS) in its efforts to implement the Agreement, which comprises support for an electoral solution, investigation of the events of April 2002 and disarming the civilian population. The amount budgeted is EUR 600 000. The Commission is working with the OAS with a view to ensuring the project's timely implementation.

Furthermore, the Commission is following closely developments concerning possible referenda and is prepared to consider providing support, including support in the form of electoral observation. A recall referendum against any elected high-level State officials can only take place if the number of signatures required by the Venezuelan constitution has been collected. In two consecutive acts of signature collection, both the government and the opposition have collected signatures to recall Deputies and President Chávez, respectively. The government claims to have gathered sufficient signatures to recall a number of Deputies and the opposition argues that it has also collected the required number to activate the mechanism for a referendum to recall President Chavez. The signatures collected should be presented to the National Electoral Council for further verification.

In accordance with the standard methodology for election observation, any decision to deploy a Union Electoral Observation Mission will depend on the recommendations made by a preliminary Union Exploratory Mission as to whether observation is advisable, useful and feasible. And, as with every Union Election Observation Mission, the authorities in the host country would need to issue an invitation to the Union to observe, prior to deployment.

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