[southnews] Chavez loses crucial vote for more powers
 
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2007 16:21:37 -0600 (CST)

Humbled by his first electoral defeat, 51% to 49%, President Hugo Chavez 
said on Monday he may have been too ambitious in asking voters to 
endorse a huge leap to a socialist state.

Chavez loses crucial vote for more powers

Economic Times, India 4 Dec, 2007, 0008 hrs

IST, AGENCIES

CARACAS: Humbled by his first electoral defeat, President Hugo Chavez 
said on Monday he may have been too ambitious in asking voters to let 
him stand indefinitely for re-election and endorse a huge leap to a 
socialist state.

I understand and accept that the proposal I made was quiet profound and 
intense, he said after voters narrowly rejected the sweeping 
constitutional reform by 51% to 49%. Opposition activists were ecstatic 
as the results were announced shortly after midnight with 88% of the 
votes counted, the trend was declared irreversible by elections council 
chief Tibisay Lucena. Some shed tears. Others began chanting: and now 
hes going away!

Foes of the reform effort, including Roman Catholic leaders, press 
freedom groups, human rights group and prominent business leaders, said 
it would have granted Chavez unchecked power and imperilled basic 
rights. Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace that the 
outcome of Sundays balloting had taught him that Venezuelan democratic 
is maturing. His respect for the verdict, he asserted, proves he is a 
true democrat.

From this moment on, lets be calm, he proposed, asking for no more 
street violence like the clashes that marred pre-vote protests.

There is no dictatorship here. Chavez, who was briefly ousted in a 
failed 2002 coup, blamed the loss on low turnout among the very 
supporters who re-elected him a year ago with 63% of the vote. Seven in 
ten eligible voters cast ballots then. This time it was just 56%.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Chavez_loses_crucial_vote_for_more_powers/articleshow/2593072.cms

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