Chavez, Foes Agree Venezuela Referendum After Aug - BUT first Chavez insists on….. *** CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez challenged his foes on Friday to try to oust him through the ballot box as his government and the opposition agreed to work to hold a referendum on his rule after Aug. 19. The left-wing former paratrooper on Friday commemorated the first anniversary of a short-lived coup against him by rebel military officers. He said his brief overthrow a year ago was like "losing my virginity" and that he would not allow any new coup to succeed.
…………………………… The constitution allows for such a referendum halfway through his current mandate, which is due to last until early 2007. The opposition must collect the signatures of at least 20 percent of the electorate to trigger such a recall poll. "Let them collect the signatures, one by one. If I lose the referendum, I'll go, but they have to beat me fair and square," Chavez told a news conference.
…………………… The formal agreement to hold a recall referendum after Aug. 19 was due to be signed by the two sides after Easter. Chavez said that before a referendum could be held, the National Assembly needed to appoint a new National Electoral Council, which would have responsibility for organizing the poll and setting a date. The country's electoral register would also have to be revised because it contained many errors, Chavez said, including false identities and foreign nationals and even dead people listed as voters. Opponents have said they fear the government might use delaying tactics to try to stall or sabotage the referendum. ***
Panic As Blast Destroys Venezuela Office Building Site of Negotiations *** CARACAS, Venezuela - A pre-dawn bomb blast ripped through the building where Venezuela's government and opposition have been negotiating a peace agreement, destroying three floors but injuring no one. The attack at about 2:45 a.m. Saturday came one day after the Organization of American States brokered a deal between the government and opposition to work toward a referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule. Federal police chief Carlos Medina said the attack may have been politically motivated. An opposition negotiator said the blast was intended to intimidate his delegation at the talks, while the government blamed "coup-plotting" sectors of the opposition.
The explosion destroyed the first three floors of the Teleport building in central Caracas, shattering windows, destroying the entrance and twisting steel gates. Elevator cables hung from the facade and broken glass, roof tiles and light fixtures littered the ground. ***