Venezuelans will decide whether President Hugo Chavez will stay in office when they vote in the recall referendum scheduled for Aug. 15.

According to the National Election Council (NEC), the referendum will take place from 6 AM to 6 PM, local time, with about 14 million people expected to cast their votes. First results will be given by the NEC three hours after the closing of voting stations.

In order to ensure fairness of the referendum, the Organization of American States (OAS) and some other international agencies have sent more than 400 observers to the South American country to monitor the whole process.

Valter Moreira, chief of the OAS observers mission, expressed his confidence over transparency Wednesday, saying the previous tests that the organization conducted in Venezuela indicated that the voting systems are reliable.

Meanwhile, Catholic, Jewish and Protestant leaders in Venezuela called on people to participate with responsibility and in peace during the referendum.

They said that they believed in the transparency of the process and the results, the impartial performance of the NEC and the perspective of the international observers.

Chavez, who was accused by his opponents of wrecking the country's economy, has to face the referendum as they have collected 2.5 million signatures against him, more than the 2.4 million required to call a recall vote.

Under the Venezuelan constitution, in order to oust Chavez, the opposition has to collect a number of votes equal to or higher than that obtained by the president in the 2000 election, which is at least 3.7 million votes.

So far, both Chavez and his opposition have expressed their confidence in winning the referendum. According to a latest survey conducted by a US polling agency, 63 percent of those polled said they would vote for Chavez while 35 percent said they would vote against him.

Analysts here said that due to the high supporting rate among the poor and his policies to boost Venezuela's social and economic development, Chavez is very likely to win the referendum.

Supporters March Before Referendum

As the voting date approaches, supporters of the two sides intensified their propaganda, urging the Venezuelan people to stand on their sides.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets in the capital Caracas to show their support for Chavez before the recall referendum.

Clad in red, they carried signs reading "No" to the recall and "Ahead With the Revolution," expressing their confidence that Chavez will win the referendum.

"This demonstration has no precedent in Venezuela. It's something huge. Today, we win over the opposition in the opinion poll battle and we are now beating them in the street," Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said to a local TV station.

"The opposition is dead and we will bury it," said Caracas Mayor Freddy Bernal, a Chavez ally.

Meanwhile, the opposition also held similar but smaller events in the eastern part of Caracas on Sunday, urging people to vote "Yes" to recall Chavez.

"In seven days, Venezuelans will have a chance to stop the demon of intolerance, division, unemployment and hunger," said opposition leader Enrique Mendoza to people who took part in the activities.

Opposition Conditions Acceptance Of Results

The Venezuelan opposition have said it will only accept the recall referendum results if international organizations acting as observers approve them.

If the OAS, non-government organization Carter Center and the United Nations Development Program approve the results of the referendum, then the opposition will do the same, said opposition leader Asdrubal Aguiar on Tuesday.

"We will abide by the electoral results as long as they are approved" by the three organizations, said Aguiar, leader of the opposition alliance Democratic Coordination.

The OAS said its evaluation of the referendum will "exactly coincide" with the results to be released by the NEC. It will not release the results but will be allowed to indicate whether or not the results reflect the will of the Venezuelan citizens.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, former presidents of Argentina, Raul Alfonsin, and Costa Rica, Rodrigo Carazzo, who are among the international observers in Venezuela to witness the referendum process, expressed their wish for the recall referendum to be peaceful and to lead to a cordial coexistence.

What matters is that "a dialogue between the parties in conflict starts, regardless of who wins, because we have to live in peace, for without it there is no politics nor democracy," said the former Argentine president.

Carazzo expressed his "solidarity" with the Venezuelan people and said that "the observation will take place in accordance with what the events indicate."

Annan Calls For Political Means To Solve Disputes

As Venezuelans prepared to hold the referendum, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday called on both the Venezuelan government and the opposition to remain committed to resolving all issues through consultations and dialogue.

Annan "reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to continue supporting Venezuelans in their search for a constitutional, democratic solution to their political differences," said a statement issued by UN spokesman Fred Eckhard.

He also reminded the government and all other political sectors in Venezuela of the commitment they made last month to his special adviser on Latin American issues, Diego Cordovez, to settle all recall-related problems through dialogues.

"The secretary-general remains convinced that only thus will Venezuelans ensure a successful outcome of the referendum and prevent further polarization of their society," Eckhard added.

Meanwhile, the international community, especially the neighboring countries, want to see a stable Venezuela, as the political situation in the world's fifth largest oil exporter will surely affect the oil price in the global market.

The United States, which has been criticized by Chavez for backing the opposition, also said that it will accept the referendum result.

The United States will continue to be the purchaser of Venezuelan oil and will not impose sanctions on the South American country if Chavez wins the referendum, said a senior US embassy official in Venezuela.

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2004)