Venezuela's Chavez Wins Recall Vote

President Hugo Chavez has claimed a "victory for the Venezuelan people" after the release of results indicating he won a referendum on his rule.
Officials from the National Electoral Council said that, with 94% of ballots counted, Mr Chavez had 58% of the vote.

Opponents rejected the partial results as a fraud, insisting they had won.

But it now seems clear the opposition desire to force him from office failed as previous attempts did, the BBC's James Menendez in Caracas says.

There was a large turnout for the vote, in which Venezuelans were asked whether Mr Chavez should serve out the remaining two-and-a-half years of his term.

Had he lost, fresh presidential elections would have been called in 30 days.

'Unassailable lead'

The high turnout in Sunday's referendum meant some people queued all day and authorities were twice forced to extend voting hours.

In the early hours of Monday morning members of the electoral council, the CNE, announced that preliminary results put Mr Chavez a clear 16 points ahead of his opponents.

CNE president Francisco Carrasquero said the results meant Mr Chavez should remain in office until January 2007.

Though Mr Chavez has not yet been declared the outright victor, his lead is virtually unassailable.

The opposition had not only to secure an absolute majority but also more votes than the 3.76 million Mr Chavez received in the 2000 elections.

Fireworks exploded across the capital Caracas before dawn.

There were wild scenes outside Miraflores presidential palace, where Mr Chavez serenaded thousands of cheering supporters from a balcony.

"It is absolutely impossible that the victory of the 'no' be reversed," Mr Chavez said.

"This has been a great victory for the Venezuelan people."

Mr Chavez also promised stability on Venezuela's oil market - an important assurance for international watchers, given Venezuela's position as one of the world's biggest oil exporters, say correspondents.

The results came as a shock to the opposition, which only hours before had appeared beaming before reporters, after their own private exit polls put them ahead.

"One cannot consider as official the partial results which part of the CNE leadership wants to announce," said Sobella Mejia, one of the electoral council's five members.

A spokesman for the Democratic Co-ordinator opposition coalition, Henry Ramos Allup, said fraud and "gross manipulation" had taken place.

"We categorically reject the results," he said.

Our correspondent says commentators are waiting to hear the verdict of international observers, including former US President Jimmy Carter and the Organization of American States.

They monitored the referendum and so far have appeared satisfied.

Repeated challenges

Venezuela was polarised by the surprise victory of Mr Chavez - Venezuela's first president from an indigenous heritage - in presidential elections in 1998.

His opponents, who are mostly white, middle-class and control most of the media and business, say he is authoritarian and has managed a rich economy badly.

Despite the country's oil wealth, 80% of Venezuelans are poor but Mr Chavez has won the hearts of many with extensive school and health programmes, analysts say.

The opposition has fought a tireless campaign to see him ousted. Mr Chavez survived a short-lived coup in April 2002 and a two-month strike that badly damaged the economy later that year.

The referendum was activated after the opposition collected signatures from 20% of the population - a recall mechanism inserted into the Venezuelan constitution by Mr Chavez in 1999.

If his victory is confirmed, it will be the eighth time Mr Chavez has won public approval of his rule and his policies, after two presidential elections and six referendums.

Observers say this referendum is unlikely to put an end to the conflict. They warn that in fevered Venezuela violence is never far away.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3569012.stm

PRELIMINARY RESULTS
For President Chavez: 58.25% (4,991,483 votes)
Against President Chavez: 41.74% (3,576,517 votes)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has survived a referendum to recall him, according to preliminary results released by the country's top electoral officer.

National Electoral Council President Francisco Carrasquero said in a national broadcast on Monday the "No" option opposing Chavez's recall had obtained just over 58% of the vote, while the "Yes" vote obtained nearly 42%.

But two pro-opposition electoral officials questioned the result.

Shortly before Carrasquero made the announcement, two members of the five-member National Electoral Council leadership said they could not back the result.

Opposition disputing result

Ezequiel Zamora and Solbella Mejias, both known opposition sympathisers, said procedural checks had not been carried out on the results as required.

Aljazeera's correspondent said
there was a massive voter turnout

"These partial results that part of the National Electoral Council wants to present to the public cannot be considered official," Mejias said.

Earlier on Monday people were still waiting to vote as the deadline was extended for people who could not complete voting before the Sunday midnight (Monday 0400 GMT) closing time the authorities had announced earlier.

"There has been a massive voter turnout," said Aljazeera's correspondent in Caracas, Dima al-Khatib.

Some voters said they had been waiting more than 12 hours to cast their ballot in the referendum on the mandate of President Hugo Chavez.

Officials twice postponed the polling station's closing time, but Chavez himself had said voting centres would not shut their doors as long as voters were still waiting to vote.

Attacks

In the course of voting, one person died and 10 others were wounded after unknown armed assailants opened fire on people queuing up to vote.

Firefighters said unidentified armed men riding motorbikes fired at voters just outside the capital Caracas on Sunday.

"What we know is that voters were in line and people opened fire from motorbikes and there are 10 people with bullet wounds and one person died," said Caracas fire chief, Rodolfo Briceno.

The incident took place in an impoverished area 17km east of the capital.

Held amid a politically charged atmosphere, the referendum has heightened passions and split Venezuela between pro- and anti-Chavez forces.

"This is a historic day for democracy in Venezuela," Chavez said shortly after voting on Sunday.

Aljazeera + Agencies
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C29235E1-6B6D-4582-B556-8D7982296B9A.htm