First preliminary bulletin of Venezuela’s recall
By Aleksander Boyd
London 16 August 2004 – 08:48GMT – CNE Director Carrasquero has given the first preliminary results of the recall referendum. In his words the NO option is leading with approximately 58.25% or 4.991.483 votes. The SI option has 41.75% or 3.576.517 votes.
However Directors Ezequiel Zamora and Sobella Mejias expressed minutes earlier that said bulletin could not be responsible made for the committee in charge of auditing the votes has not met and data is still to arrive.
Foreign Secretary Jesus Perez is meeting with Venezuelan Ambassador to the OAS Jorge Valero. Reportedly the international observers are about to produce some sort of statement due to the manner in which Carrasquero has made such an announcement. Jorge Rodriguez has just arrived to the CNE headquarters in Caracas saying that results will be given at 2:00PM Caracas time.
Exit polls conducted by Sumate and others give the SI option a considerable advantage. At 03:00GMT the number of votes to recall Chavez was unofficially reported to be nearing 5.200.000.
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