Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez claimed on Sunday that he had
won a new term in his country's presidential election.
As 78 percent of votes had been counted, Chavez had garnered 61
percent, far ahead of his rival Manuel Rosales, according to
Tibisay Lucena, head of the elections council.
Rosales has conceded defeat. "We admit that they defeated us
today," he told reporters.
The voting, which began at 6:00 AM local time (10:00 GMT) in
around 11,118 polling stations in all 23 states plus capital
Caracas. About 16 million citizens were registered to vote.
Soon after the announcement, Chavez appeared on the balcony of
his presidential palace, to sing the national anthem and address
his supporters.
Chavez described his victory as symbolizing national support for
socialism and claimed that it was "another defeat for the devil who
wants to dominate the world," apparently referring to the United
States.
The president also paid salute to Cuba's leader Fidel Castro,
another staunch opponent of the United States.
Chavez and opposition candidate Rosales, a local state governor,
were the two leading contenders vying for the top job. The most
recent public opinion polls showed Chavez with a solid lead over
Rosales.
Chavez, 52, has vowed to forge social programs that have won him
applause among poor Venezuelans who played a key role in giving him
landslide electoral victories in 1998 and 2000.
(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2006)
