Vzla: Above the law

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela's vice president dismissed as illegal Tuesday a Supreme Court chamber's order that election authorities accept more than 870,000 disputed signatures on a petition for a recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez.

The ruling Monday by the electoral chamber of the Supreme Court gives opposition leaders more than enough signatures to force the binding vote on Chavez's presidency.

But disagreements over which Supreme Court chamber has the authority to decide on matters concerning the recall vote makes it unlikely that the decision will be immediately implemented.