Vzla: Recall recalled

Venezuela's opposition abandoned an effort to force a recall vote on President Hugo Chavez, saying the national elections agency had created an unfair process for verifying signatures on recall petitions.

First Justice Party leader Julio Borges said in a televised press conference that the opposition would only participate if the National Electoral Council changed the rules. The agency ruled earlier this week that the opposition was 600,000 signatures short of the 2.4 million needed to force a vote, while 876,000 questionable signatures were subject to reconfirmation by the signers.

``We already submitted enough signatures for a referendum,'' said Borges, who is hoping to draw more than 100,000 protesters tomorrow to an opposition march and rally. ``The way the rules are now, we will not participate in the confirmation process.''

Will Chavez continue to blame the U.S.?