Vzla: 15,738 signatures more than needed

Radio Nacional de Venezuela reports: National Elections Council (CNE) director Jorge Rodriguez has presented a final report on signature repairs for National Assemblymen held two weeks ago. Recall referenda will be held against nine ... all from the opposition.

Rodriguez also presented a preliminary report of last weekend’s signature repairs for the Presidential recall referendum process ... even though a certain percentage of signature lists remain to be evaluated, there are already 15,000 more signatures than required to convene a recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez Frias.

• Rodriguez indicates that “we’ve done hard work, but we are profoundly satisfied with the job done, and we’re ready to continue the next stages of the referenda.”

With respect to the repairs process for the recall referendum against the President of the Republic, Rodriguez indicates that the transcription and tallying process “is going quickly. 40% of the lists have been transcribed, and 35% have been certified. There have been very few errors in the lists examined so far.”

Rodriguez says that in last weekend’s repairs process, 614,968 signatures were included, but 74,112 were excluded. As a net result, with 2,436,083 signatures  required, and 2,451,821 already obtained ... i.e. 15,738 more than the required number to convene the referendum.