CARACAS, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's opposition coalition hinted Wednesday there will be no dialogue unless the goverment cancels National Constituent Assembly (ANC).
"A magnificent gesture ... would be for him (President Nicolas Maduro) ... to overcome the pressures of his party" and cancel the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), said Henry Ramos Allup, leader of the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD).
Venezuela is set to elect the ANC on July 30, which will be mandated to rewrite the constitution. The government reckons it as the best way to lead the country out of the current political and economic crisis, while the opposition sees the move as a power grab by Maduro.
Dropping the ANC would be a gesture showing a willingness to talk, and "prove that this man (Maduro) leads as he is the president," said Allup.
Maduro has reiterated his call for political dialogue with the MUD. "We must be aware of the differences we have in the country. We must resolve them with peace, with votes and not bullets, with tolerance, with democracy," he said on Sunday.
While stating its preconditions for renewing dialogue, the MUD will not "let the streets go cold," said Allup, indicating that opposition protests will continue to demand Maduro step down.
Maduro has slammed the opposition as being terrorists for leading anti-government protests, which have left at least 97 people dead. He has also repeatedly invited the MUD to participate in the ANC, only to be rejected by the opposition coalition.
