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E-079/00
April 10, 2000

 

VENEZUELA FOREIGN MINISTER URGES FULL CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN DECISION-MAKING

 

Venezuela's Foreign Minister José Vicente Rangel today opened a Seminar for Analysis and Reflection on Participatory Democracy, calling on the hemispheric community to press toward full participation of the citizenry in decision-making and policy implementation in the countries of the region.

Rangel told the gathering at the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington that if citizens are to participate in a democracy, abstaining or remaining passive cannot be an option. "No society's democracy can move forward if the mechanisms to participate in it are not used," he said.

Meanwhile, in his opening remarks, OAS Secretary General César Gaviria stressed participation as key to legitimacy. He explained: "We must therefore seek new opportunities for citizen participation so decisions can be perceived as a source of genuine commitment, with everyone having an equal chance of getting involved and being heard."

Mr. Gaviria noted, however, that even in the most open of societies, the playing field is not always level in terms of access to the decision-making machinery, which is why these changes should be made, "taking into account the poorest, the marginalized, the disenfranchised as well as minorities that have been ignored for so long but are now pressing their claim to be heard."

The Seminar for Analysis and Reflection on Participatory Democracy opened with Venezuelan Ambassador to the OAS, Virginia Contreras, giving the welcome. Contreras chairs the OAS Working Group on Representative Democracy.

Top academics, experts and government delegates have gathered for the two-day event to share ideas about citizen participation in the hemisphere's democracies, and factors conducive to greater levels of participation. Alternate Representative of Argentina Mauricio Alice was elected by acclamation to be rapporteur for the Seminar.

The discussions have been organized around two round tables--one dealing with "Citizen participation in the political process of democratic systems" and the other "Factors conducive to citizen participation in democratic systems."

 

 

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