Enabling Law draft granting dictatorial powers to Maduro

[Peace Patriot]

12. And here is what the proposed and very publicly discussed enabling law is really about.

Maduro Requests Enabling Law in Order to Crack Down on Economic and Political Corruption in Venezuela

By TAMARA PEARSON

Merida, 11th October 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Discussion formally began on Tuesday in the national assembly to pass an enabling law which aims to severely crack down on both economic and political corruption.

Maduro officially proposed the law to the assembly in a speech that lasted for almost three hours. He focused on the fight against corruption, arguing that people need to stop perceiving it as “normal in political life”.

“I’ve come here to ask for enabling powers in order to deepen, speed-up, and fight the battle... for a new political ethic... I’m going to present (to the assembly) a new dynamic for the transformation of the republican ethical model and the transformation of the economic model, two elements that should be combined”.

“The era of institutional corruption should come to an end in Venezuela,” he said. Further, he announced that the government will focus its efforts on getting rid of the economic and financial mafia, “no matter their political colour”, and said there would be “zero tolerance” for corruption.

Maduro said he believes “a profound transformation of the justice system” is indispensable, and proposed the creation of professional teams in the public prosecutor’s office to investigate economic crimes. He also proposed the creation of “special organisations” to judge those crimes, as well as a legal framework to legislate around the financial functioning of political practices.

Prior to his speech he had also said that he wanted the maximum penalty for engaging in corruption to be increased from 8 years to 20.

He also emphasised the role of the people in fighting corruption and denouncing such cases. “I call on the people to not permit corruption...to not tolerate corruption either of those with a yellow collar (opposition supporters) nor the corruption of those with a red collar (supporters of the Bolivarian revolution). It’s the same thuggery, no matter how you dress; it’s the same anti-people and anti-country behaviour,” he said.

Maduro asked for enabling powers for one year. The law is a constitutional tool which would allow Maduro pass certain laws by decree, bypassing the national assembly. In this case, it would enable him to quickly put into place the measures he proposed.

However, it is uncertain if the enabling law will be passed by the assembly. To pass it, Maduro needs 60% of the assembly votes, which translates to 99 votes. So far, apart from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), with 92 seats, expressing its support, the Venezuelan Communist Party (PCV) and the Homeland for All (PPT) parties have also said they support the law. The PCV has three seats, and the PPT now has none. There are also three pro-Chavista independents, bringing total guaranteed support to 98.

The first vote on the law may not take place for a few weeks, then even if it is passed in first discussion, it must be then taken to a special commission, then ten days later submitted to a second discussion in order to be enacted.

While PSUV legislator Diosdado Cabello has accused those against the enabling law of being “corrupt”, opposition members have argued against it on the basis that when former president Hugo Chavez passed laws using such power it was “useless”. Legislator Hiram Gabiria, of the opposition MUD bloc, called the enabling law “inconvenient and inopportune” and said that it was aimed at “increasing economic repression”.

Chavez was granted decree powers four times during his 14 year period in office.

According to an ICS poll, conducted on 24 and 15 August, 71.5% of the population consider the enabling law necessary in order to fight corruption. 1,600 people were surveyed.

PUBLISHED ON OCT 11TH 2013 AT 7.44PM

This work is licensed under a Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives Creative Commons license

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/10087
(my emphasis)

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Above, I've highlighted what this "enabling law" is about: corruption, on both sides of the aisle. It is hugely ironic that the rightwing opposition, the transglobal corporate press and rightwing me-too-ers (including some here at DU) criticize the Chavez/Maduro government for corruption--yet, when Maduro tries to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, they start using words like "dictator" (as in the headline of this rightwing OP).

I have also highlighted the DEMOCRATIC process for passing "enabling laws" in Venezuela, which includes extensive DISCUSSION, by the public and by ELECTED legislators, remanding to committee, etc., as we have in the U.S. legislative process, and then VOTING by ELECTED legislators, whether to give the Executive these specific, time-limited, fully discussed powers to accomplish specific goals.

"Enabling laws" are a common government practice in Latin America (Brazil, for instance, has enabling laws) and they are LIMITED by time-frame, and by specific issues and goals. They are somewhat akin to "state of emergency" powers here for state governors, for instance, after an earthquake or hurricane, to allow the executive to hurry up financing and organization to address the crisis. (One of the enabling laws passed for Chavez had to do with housing and rebuilding an entire town after catastrophic floods, for instance.)

Maduro wants to clean up corruption--or so he says. NO politician should EVER be entirely trusted, so, you look at indicators like: Is the goal, and are the tools he wants, being widely and publicly discussed? The answer here is YES. Does it require a vote by elected representatives? YES. Is it the will of the people? At least one poll says YES, overwhelmingly. (The ICS poll: 71.5% of the people surveyed said the enabling laws are necessary to fight corruption.)

What other indicators are there? Is the election system honest and transparent? Jimmy Carter said that Venezuela's election system is "the best in the world." I agree, on the basis of my own researches (--best in the world of electronic systems, and possibly best in the world, period). Does Maduro have a mandate? Although he won the presidency in a very close vote, he certainly seems to have a mandate on THIS issue. In general, it appears that the socialist party has a lot broader support in Venezuela than Maduro does personally (unlike Chavez, who had great personal popularity). For instance, just after the special election that Maduro narrowly won, the voters threw out all but four of the rightwing governors of the provinces in favor of the socialists. They've also given the socialists a big majority in the National Assembly. Maduro may not be very charismatic, but, in terms of policy, the voters support his party, and, on this issue, according to the ICS poll, very much support his plan for fighting corruption.

One other point: The Venezuelan Left overwhelming supports Maduro's plan for fighting corruption, and the Venezuelan Right opposes it. Who has the more serious corruption problem, do you think?

So, this is the other side of the story of this proposed "enabling law." Better to hear both sides, eh?, in judging whether or not Maduro wants, or could even acquire, "dictatorial" powers. We're certainly not going to get the other side of the story from the corporate press, which HATES the Chavez-Maduro government and reports ONLY negative stories about Venezuela (ignoring momentous positive stories, such as the UN Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean, ranking Venezuela as 'THE most equal country in Latin America&quot .

One of our anti-left DUers is sure now to call VenezuelaAnalysis a Chavez-Maduro government horn. It is certainly a leftist site, sympathetic to the Bolivarian Revolution. Why shouldn't we consider the leftist perspective, um, at the "Democratic Underground"--as a balance against the TOTAL negative coverage of Venezuela's socialist government by the transglobal corporate media? It's my opinion that V/A provides MUCH MORE objective and informative articles about Venezuela's leftist democracy revolution than any other source, and is absolutely vital as a counter-balance to the extremely propagandistic corporate press. Our own democracy is sick unto death from Corporate Ruler propaganda. They are not trustworthy on ANY issue. Alternative views are needed--especially alternative views from a leftist perspective--the perspective of the poor majority. At V/A, you get articles by workers, by labor leaders, by poor moms, by ordinary people in their struggles to better their lives and their society; articles with lots of facts and details about Venezuela's political/electoral and economic systems; straightforward facts and quotes, uncolored by corporate bias; and including articles that criticize the government and the leftist political establishment. Photos, too--and NOT just of leaders, as in the corporate press--but of the real movers and shakers in Venezuela: its people. It's a great site. I can see why rightwingers hate it, and are forever trying to tear it down.

I went to V/A for balance early on, soon after the U.S.-supported, failed rightwing coup d'etat in 2002, and learned so much there that was NOT BEING REPORTED by the corporate press. I am a critical reader, very attuned to bias of whatever kind. I dislike what I call "Marxist babble," for instance--it is so formulaic, so boring. There's a bit of that at V/A, but not much. I see that some of the news articles tend to report government officials' statements a bit too objectively (not enough skepticism). But I also see the opposition quoted without bias or irony. I see LOTS of objective facts, studies, reports presented. And I see LOTS of ordinary citizens getting a forum for their political/social ideas and efforts.

The article I'm quoting here in its entirety is typical of V/A news articles. It beats the corporate/rightwing bullshit about "dictatorial powers" by a long mile, as to telling you what is actually going on: a democratic process. It remains to be seen whether Maduro, a) can muster the votes in the National Assembly for this one-year, anti-corruption enabling law, b) if it passes, use it effectively and even-handedly to fight corruption, or c) uses it wrongfully (say, just to punish his political enemies). I don't expect the latter (mis-use) but I DO expect lots and lots and lots of DISCUSSION of how this enabling law, if passed, works out--pro and con at V/A. It is an INFORMATIVE news/analysis web site, unlike the corporate press, which is ENTIRELY propagandistic and rife with DIS-information.

According to the ICS polls, this "enabling law" is a very popular measure--and has a good chance of passing--unlike conditions here in the U.S., where the "public option" in Obamacare, and other alternatives such as "single-payer" and expanding Medicare--all very popular with the voters--were somehow defeated, and we are left with insurance-corporation-run health care (corporate Democrat plan) or no health care at all for half the population (Puke plan)--and no government! We're struggling against outright treason, while what we really want and need is ignored in the song and dance of the phony "debt crisis." Venezuelans have free, universal health care; free education through college; low unemployment; good wages/benefits; strong unions; very high voter turnouts and public participation, and other indicators of an actual functioning democracy, including an honest, transparent election system. The contrast is stark. Here, the moneyed class controls the discussion and aims at nuking Social Security and Medicare (the real goal of the manufactured "debt crisis&quot , totally against the will of the people. There--in Venezuela--the PEOPLES' needs are well-represented in government. Which system is tyrannical?