VENEZUELA: US peace envoy Mr Jimmy Carter yesterday presented Venezuela's rival political factions with two proposals aimed at ending a strike which has lasted 53 days, crippling the economy but failing to oust President Hugo Chavez.
The first is for a referendum in August on whether President Chavez should remain in office or hold fresh elections. If Mr Chavez lost, he would be eligible to run as a candidate in the subsequent ballot. The second is to reduce the presidential term from six to four years. "The alternative is chaos," said Mr Carter.
Venezuela's Supreme Court, meanwhile, has ordered the suspension of a planned February nonbinding referendum on the rule of President Chavez, dealing a blow to opposition hopes to inflict a symbolic political defeat on him.