Today the president of Venezuela, will talk to the Venezuelan National Assembly and have his "state of the Nation". He will talk about what he claims to have done and what he claims to want to do. Foreign apologists of the Venezuelan regime have claimed for years that it is fine if there is the possibility of indefinite reelection in Venezuela because you have that in European countries and elsewhere. What these people forget is that Venezuela does NOT have a parliamentarian system. So now Venezuela joins Cuba, Iran and Surinam in the club of countries having a president who can be indefinitely nominated, in a system that is controlled by him as it is not possible in parliamentarian systems.
I have written before about this, but today we have a concrete example of the differences between the responsabilities of a president in the Venezuelan way now and a prime minister. The president of Venezuela has to talk, but it is up to him to say what he wants, he does not have to answer anything. According to the constitution,
"237: Annually, within the first ten days following the installation of the National Assembly, in ordinary session, the President of the Republic shall present personally to the Assembly a message by which he will account for the economic, social and administrative aspects of his administration during the previous year."
Unlike prime ministers, the president in Venezuela can always maintain a monologue. Even though ministers sometimes also try to avoid answering (in some countries more than others), but sooner or later there is no way around for them.
I am for a Parliamentarian system for Venezuela. Before we get one, I would propose calling for a referendum where we propose that heads of state, governors and some others have to answer regularly and in person to the questions of the opposition.
Today Hugo of Sabaneta will talk and talk and lie and lie and he will render no account, just tell his story. There is no way of cornering him as one can do in the German, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish, Dutch or even the British system. This is not possible in Venezuela now:
I have written before about this, but today we have a concrete example of the differences between the responsabilities of a president in the Venezuelan way now and a prime minister. The president of Venezuela has to talk, but it is up to him to say what he wants, he does not have to answer anything. According to the constitution,
"237: Annually, within the first ten days following the installation of the National Assembly, in ordinary session, the President of the Republic shall present personally to the Assembly a message by which he will account for the economic, social and administrative aspects of his administration during the previous year."
Unlike prime ministers, the president in Venezuela can always maintain a monologue. Even though ministers sometimes also try to avoid answering (in some countries more than others), but sooner or later there is no way around for them.
I am for a Parliamentarian system for Venezuela. Before we get one, I would propose calling for a referendum where we propose that heads of state, governors and some others have to answer regularly and in person to the questions of the opposition.
Today Hugo of Sabaneta will talk and talk and lie and lie and he will render no account, just tell his story. There is no way of cornering him as one can do in the German, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish, Dutch or even the British system. This is not possible in Venezuela now:
Hi,
ReplyDeleteIt might be a wee bit offtopic, but maybe only kind of.
After this blackout things Hugo de Sabaneta reminds me on the movie "Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes". Its a german movie from the 70ties about the Amazonas journey of the conquistador Lope de Aguirre by Werner Herzog with Klaus Kinsky as Aguirre.
http://www.filmstarts.de/kritiken/37028-Aguirre,-der-Zorn-Gottes.html
A madman hit by a vision who slowly destroys his expedition.
"Wenn ich, Aguirre, will, dass die Vögel tot von den Bäumen fallen, dann fallen die Vögel tot von den Bäumen herunter. Ich bin der Zorn Gottes. Die Erde, über die ich gehe, sieht mich und bebt."
Pienso que ya es una buena película. No sé si lo conoces.
In the chilean presidencial debate with Frei and Pinera both said, that they don't consider the Chávez Government as democratic. He is elected democratically, but some of his means certainly are not.
http://tinyurl.com/ychrpcg
-> 1:05
Hi, Axel. Yes, I know that film, it is excellent and not coincidentally I have thought about it in relation to Venezuela and I have also wondered about Chávez's mental state, how far it is a trick and how far real madness, what he is really believing in. It is obviously a mix, but it would be interesting to find out in what proportion.
ReplyDeleteAguirre in real life, as you probably know, went further: to Margarita and from there to Valencia and towards Barquisimeto, and on the way he killed a lot of people, including his own daughter. I don't think we get to those extremes in the XXI century, at least directly, although chávez is ready to let a lot of people die for him.
Thanks for the video. Did you see the video Juan showed of Hugo on marxism? I would like to identify who were the guys who were hardly applauding (although general applause was rather weak even among those sycophants)
I am a Marxist