Venezuela's election board on Tuesday provided petititon sheet, a necessary document that allow opposition to initiate referendum to oust president Nicolás Maduro. However, even though his popularity has plunged deeply by economic problem, ousting him is not easy.
Reuters reported that triple-digit inflation, Soviet-style production shortages and a severe recession, have made the socialist leader broadly unpopular. On the other hand, huge victory gained by opposition party in last year's legislative election has invigorated the opposition to push for a recall.
Prior to the election board's decision, opposition legislators chained themselves to the council's office last week. They waited for Venezuela's election board to allow the petition. Therefore, opposition celebrated the Tuesday's decision as a small step to victory and will start collecting signature for referendum.
"Today we took a first step to begin the recall of Maduro," opposition deputy Elias Matta said in his tweet. "We the people support change, there is no way to stop it."
In order to start the referendum, the petition must be signed by 20% electorate or equal to 4 million voters. Following the petition, in order to replace president Maduro, the referendum must collect more than 7.6 million votes, or exceeding the votes he received in 2013 presidential election.
President Maduro said about the attempt to oust him as a coup in a television event on Tuesday, "They go around saying our hour has come. Your hour will never come."
However, according to a Tulane University sociologist David Smilde, who has lived in Venezuela for decades, the Tuesday's decision is crucial. He told ABC News that the scope of the opposition's victory, as partial as it may seem, shouldn't be underestimated.
Furthermore, Mr. Smilde said, the government had turned down previous attempts to remove the president who has lost his credibiity. That includes Supreme Court's repeated action to veto several congressional laws to pass constitutional amendment to cut short Maduro's presidential terms. Therefore, a petition will become a good starting point.
"This could've been a sticking point because at any point the process can get hung up for weeks or months," said Smilde.
Actions from government to maintain its power has driven the opposition to become more determined to oust president Maduro. While the leader of opposition party Primero Justicia and congressman Tomás Guanipa welcomed the descision, as quoted by New York Times.
"Today, we are struggling for the future of the country and we will not rest," he said. "We will defeat all of the obstacles the government and electoral commission put in our way."
Venezuela's election board on Tuesday provided petition sheet, allowing opposition to iniate referendum to recall president Nicolás Maduro. The president's popularity has plunged deeply amid economic problem from recession and inflation. Opposition will soon begin the petition.
