Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-23-Speech-4-189"
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"en.20081023.25.4-189"2
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"Mr President, for several years the situation of the Opposition in Venezuela has been very difficult, and questioning Venezuelan democracy has been legitimate.
But what is happening at the moment is proof that Venezuela’s democracy and the rule of law are a mockery. To use an administrative measure in order to ban people for 15 years from holding or running for official positions is unacceptable. Only the courts should be allowed to take such decisions, and only after convicting perpetrators of serious crimes.
The perversity of this measure can be easily noticed when it is realised that the vast majority of those banned are from the political Opposition, a practice that most likely will not be used only for the elections this November but may continue for the elections which will follow.
It is not surprising that this political disqualification is happening at a time when human rights advocates who criticise the current government are being expelled from Venezuela and when very suspicious accidents, resulting in the deaths of people who expressed criticisms, are not properly investigated.
The European Parliament must send a firm message to public opinion in Venezuela that political disqualification is an undemocratic practice and is contrary to the very foundation of the rule of law. We must strongly reject the allegations of the Venezuelan Vice-Minister for Europe that the European Parliament refused to vote on this resolution in September because it was seen as a vote against the anti-corruption fight. Such a manoeuvre to manipulate Venezuelan public opinion is undignified for a minister for Europe. We also strongly reject his accusation that what we are doing here constitutes an attack against a sovereign country.
This resolution is the expression of our concern regarding democratic evolution and respect for human rights in a country whose people we highly admire and respect."@en1
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