The Democratic Action Party, the Social Christian Party (COPEI), and the Democratic Republican Union, after careful and thoughtful consideration of all elements of national historical reality and the country’s electoral problems, and given the responsibility of guiding the public to the consolidation of democratic principles, have reached full agreement of unity and cooperation on the bases and by the following considerations:

1. As is public knowledge, for several months the various political forces that participated in the united actions for the defense of democracy have held talks aimed at ensuring understanding, mutual respect and cooperation among them, equally interested in strengthening unity and the guarantee of a political truce, subject to organizational autonomy and ideological characterization of each, as expressly stated in the minutes of the extension of the Patriotic Junta signed on January 25, 1958 by the political parties that were involved initially. The result is favorable, since the natural differences between the parties, as distinct from unanimity imposed by despotism have been channeled into patterns of coexistence that now more than ever are necessary to expand and secure. The thorough analysis of the background, current characteristics and prospects of our democratic movement, comprehensive consideration of legitimate interests represented by the parties on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of its members; the recognition of the existence of large independent sectors that constitute an important factor of national life; the support of the armed forces to the process of affirmation of the Republic as a state institution under the control of the constitutional authorities, and the firm intention to sponsor the union of all citizen forces in the effort to achieve the organization of the Venezuelan nation, have been present in the study of different formulas proposed. Sincere definition and defense of the rights granted to the parties as representatives of large national groups to together address common concerns of enduring interest to the nation, although they occasionally have caused the generous impatience of those holding qualified opinions, are the guarantee that the discussions have responded to a serious and responsible approach to the urgent needs of the country.

2. Thorough and extensive discussions have served to engage the unitary organizations into a long-range national policy, whose two poles can be defined as follows: a) ensuring that the electoral process and the Public Authorities that will emerge to meet the standards of effective democratic freedom of suffrage, and b) ensuring that the electoral process not only avoids breaking the united front, but strengthens it by extending the political truce, depersonalization of debate, the eradication of interparty violence and the definition of guidelines that facilitate the formation of the Government and the deliberative bodies that equitably group together all sectors of Venezuelan society interested in the stability of the Republic as a popular system of government.

3. Established these principles of general character, COPEI, AD and URD compromise their action and responsibility in the following terms:

a. Defense of constitutionality and the right to govern according to electoral results. The elections will determine responsibility in the exercise of public powers, during the constitutional period 1959-1964; intervention of the Military against the authorities arising from the voting is a crime against the country. All political organizations are required to act in defense of the constitutional authorities if a coup is attempted or carried out even if during the course of the five years the circumstances of autonomy that they reserve these organizations have been able to place in any of them legal or democratic opposition to the Government. It is declared a patriotic duty to comply with permanent resistance against any situation of force that might arise from subversion and collaboration with such an act is also considered a crime against the country.

b. Government of National Unity. While the exercise of power by one party is legitimate consequence of an electoral majority, the fate of democracy in Venezuela and the stability of the rule of law among us impose us to convert the defensive popular unity in a unitary government to endure at least as long as the factors that threaten the Republican trial initiated on January 23; the government of National Unity is the way to channel the partisan energies and avoid a systematic opposition to weaken the democratic movement. It makes clear that none of the signatory organizations aspire or accept hegemony in the Executive Cabinet, in which national political currents and independent sectors of the country must be represented, through a fair selection of capabilities.

c. Common Minimum Programme. To facilitate cooperation between political organizations during the electoral process and their collaboration in the Constitutional Government, signatory parties agree to the stated process of holding a common minimum program, whose execution is the starting point for a patriotic national administration and the strengthening of democracy as a system. This program shall be drawn separately, on general grounds, as agreed, and considered an annex to this agreement. Since this program does not exclude the right of the political organizations to defend other points not included in it, it is agreed in these cases the following rule: no unitary party may include in its particular program points contrary to the common minimum program and, in any case, public discussion of uncommon points will remain within the limits of tolerance and mutual respect for obliging the interests of popular unity and the political truce.

4. The ideal of unity as an instrument of struggle against tyranny and against forces that wish to regroup to sponsor another despotic venture, would be the selection of a single democratic presidential candidate, the formation of single platforms for the collegiate bodies and the formation of a united front based on a single integral program of Government.

In practice it has been shown that various real factors contradict this historical perspective, but fortunately there are other appropriate ways to preserve national unity. Therefore, far from considering committed the unity of checks and balances by natural interparty contradictions that correspond to the essence of democratic activity, the signatory organizations after confronting their differing views among themselves and with those offered by independent authorized spokespersons of the press and other national factors define:

1. The requirements of unity are compatible with the eventuality of various applications and legislative platforms.

2. So that the presentation of several presidential candidates and various legislative platforms can be verified without affecting the unity and without breaking the interparty truce, it is essential to strengthen the patriotic feeling of common interest and tolerance and mutual respect between the independent forces, based on what what should be the sincere and solemn commitment of all democratic forces to the points contained in this statement and the spirit that animates it, as is now enshrined with the signing of this document.

3. To ensure political truce and the united coexistence of the democratic organizations, establishing an Interparty Commission for Unity responsible for monitoring compliance with this agreement. This Commission will be responsible for guiding the interparty coexistence, to hear complaints arising against personalistic diversions or sectarianism in electoral campaigns and bring out before any signatory, in the name of all, the moderation and control of what could compromise democratic coexistence.

5. To ensure that various presidential nominations and several legislative platforms are at all times expressions of the national will to hold elections that ultimately translates into strengthening democracy, it is proclaimed:

I. Each organization is free to support their own presidential candidate and their own platforms for the collegiate bodies within the concept of unity here consecrated and in the sense that ensures mutual tolerance during the campaign and compliance with the general commitments agreed in this statement whatever candidate or platform that obtains the most votes.

II. All votes cast in favor of the various democratic candidates will be considered as unitary votes and the sum of the votes for the distinct colors as an affirmation of the popular will in favor of the constitutional system and the consolidation of the rule of law.

III. The nomination of presidential candidates and legislative platforms is the responsibility of each party or coalition. It will be the citizen electorate to whom it corresponds to qualify any nomination.

IV. The parties to this document will ensure adherence to the principles and rules embodied here by their respective candidates for the Presidency of the Republic.

V. Signatory parties undertake to run a positive campaign affirming its candidates and programs in the spirit of unity, avoiding approaches and discussions that may precipitate interparty conflict, personalistic diversions of debate and deep divisions that could later jeopardize the formation of the Government of National Unity.

VI. After the publication of the official results of the elections, a major public event will be held in Caracas to ratify the following principles:

a. Public support for all organizations and candidates verified by the election results as expressions of the sovereign will of the people.

b. Ratification by the signatory organizations of its sincere intention to support the Government of National Unity, which provides fair and democratic collaboration.

Considering the signatory organizations, the accession of all political forces to the principles as set out in this statement as an effective guarantee for the exercise of the right of electoral democracy within a climate of unity. The cooperation of the professional unions, civic and cultural, of the press and independent personalities, and the purposes set out, consolidate national coexistence and enable the development of a constitutional stability that is founded on political sincerity, the democratic balance, administrative honesty and institutional rules that are the essence of patriotic will of the Venezuelan people. As this agreement does not fix principle or condition contrary to the right of the other existing organizations in the country, and its loyal compliance does not limit or condition the natural exercise of such powers to can and want to put at the service of the high objectives pursued, all democratic organizations are invited to support, without prejudice to their specific conceptions, committed effort towards the celebration of the electoral process in a climate that demonstrates the ability of Venezuela for the orderly and peaceful practice of democracy.

Caracas, 31 October 1958

(signed)
For the Unión Republicana Democrática,
Jóvito Villalba.
Ignacio Luis Arcaya.
Manuel López Rivas.

(signed)
For the Partido Social Cristiano, COPEI,
Rafael Caldera.
Pedro del Corral.
Lorenzo Fernández.

(signed)
For Acción Democrática,
Rómulo Betancourt.
Raúl Leoni.
Gonzalo Barrios.

 

[Student translation]

Source:
http://www.analitica.com/bitblioteca/venezuela/punto_fijo.asp