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Chávez Has Six-Point Lead in Venezuela
- Next month's presidential election in Venezuela could be close, according to a poll by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates. 48 per cent of respondents would vote for incumbent president Hugo Chávez, while 42 per cent would support Zulia governor Manuel Rosales of A New Time (UNT). Ten per cent of respondents would either vote for other contenders, or remain undecided.
Chávez has been in office since February 1999. In July 2000, he was elected to a six-year term with 59.5 per cent of all cast ballots. In August 2004, Chávez won a referendum on his tenure with 59 per cent of the vote. The special election was called after opposition organizations in Venezuela gathered 2.5 million signatures to force a recall ballot.
The presidential election is scheduled for Dec. 3. In December 2005, Venezuelan voters renewed their National Assembly. The pro-Chávez Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) secured 114 of the 167 seats at stake. Five opposition parties boycotted the election, which saw a turnout of less than 25 per cent.
Yesterday, humorist Benjamín Rausseo of the Piedra Party withdrew his candidacy, declaring, "I want to thank all who have supported me up to this point, and the people from the Piedra Party who have worked with a lot of effort, dedication and care."
Rausseo refused to endorse any of the two main contenders, adding, "I am retiring through the front door, without backing anyone, and I am letting all my followers free to vote for the candidate of their preference."
Polling Data
If the presidential elections were held today for whom would you vote?
Nov. 2006 | Sept. 2006 | |
Hugo Chávez | 48% | 50% |
Manuel Rosales | 42% | 37% |
Other / Undecided | 10% | 12% |
Source: Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,000 likely Venezuelan voters, conducted from Nov. 6 to Nov. 10, 2006. Margin of error is 3.5 per cent.