Today the president of Venezuela, will talk to the Venezuelan National Assembly and have his "state of the Nation". He will talk about what he claims to have done and what he claims to want to do. Foreign apologists of the Venezuelan regime have claimed for years that it is fine if there is the possibility of indefinite reelection in Venezuela because you have that in European countries and elsewhere. What these people forget is that Venezuela does NOT have a parliamentarian system. So now Venezuela joins Cuba, Iran and Surinam in the club of countries having a president who can be indefinitely nominated, in a system that is controlled by him as it is not possible in parliamentarian systems.
I have written before about this, but today we have a concrete example of the differences between the responsabilities of a president in the Venezuelan way now and a prime minister. The president of Venezuela has to talk, but it is up to him to say what he wants, he does not have to answer anything. According to the constitution,
"237: Annually, within the first ten days following the installation of the National Assembly, in ordinary session, the President of the Republic shall present personally to the Assembly a message by which he will account for the economic, social and administrative aspects of his administration during the previous year."
Unlike prime ministers, the president in Venezuela can always maintain a monologue. Even though ministers sometimes also try to avoid answering (in some countries more than others), but sooner or later there is no way around for them.
I am for a Parliamentarian system for Venezuela. Before we get one, I would propose calling for a referendum where we propose that heads of state, governors and some others have to answer regularly and in person to the questions of the opposition.
Today Hugo of Sabaneta will talk and talk and lie and lie and he will render no account, just tell his story. There is no way of cornering him as one can do in the German, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish, Dutch or even the British system. This is not possible in Venezuela now:
I have written before about this, but today we have a concrete example of the differences between the responsabilities of a president in the Venezuelan way now and a prime minister. The president of Venezuela has to talk, but it is up to him to say what he wants, he does not have to answer anything. According to the constitution,
"237: Annually, within the first ten days following the installation of the National Assembly, in ordinary session, the President of the Republic shall present personally to the Assembly a message by which he will account for the economic, social and administrative aspects of his administration during the previous year."
Unlike prime ministers, the president in Venezuela can always maintain a monologue. Even though ministers sometimes also try to avoid answering (in some countries more than others), but sooner or later there is no way around for them.
I am for a Parliamentarian system for Venezuela. Before we get one, I would propose calling for a referendum where we propose that heads of state, governors and some others have to answer regularly and in person to the questions of the opposition.
Today Hugo of Sabaneta will talk and talk and lie and lie and he will render no account, just tell his story. There is no way of cornering him as one can do in the German, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish, Dutch or even the British system. This is not possible in Venezuela now: