Venezuela's most senior electoral official has said that only between 1.7 million and 1.8 million opposition signatures seeking a referendum against President Hugo Chavez have been found valid
so far, not enough to justify a vote at this point.
The minimum legally required for a recall vote to go ahead is 2.4 million signatures.
National Electoral Council President Francisco Carrasquero told the BBC in an interview that voters whose signatures had been questioned would be given the opportunity to reconfirm them. This left the possibility open that the 2.4 million target could still be reached.
