Sunday, January 15th 2012 - 01:03 UTC

Chavez pledges that if an opposition candidate wins, he will hand power

Venezuela's Hugo Chávez said that if an opposition candidate wins this year's presidential election he will be the first to recognize the rival's victory and hand over power.

Presidential election is scheduled for next October with the charismatic Chavez leading comfortably in opinion polls (Photo AP)

The most extreme critics of the controversial Venezuelan populist suggest he could refuse to accept the results if he loses on Oct. 7. In his annual state of the nation speech to parliament, Chávez, 57, scoffed at that and urged opposition leaders to publicly pledge to respect the ballot results.

“I recognize the opposition is making a great effort ... If one of you wins the election, I would be the first to recognize it, and I ask the same of you,” he said, after making a point of greeting some of his most virulent critics on his way in.

“We are going to show the world the political maturity that we have acquired in these years of democratic revolution.”

Chávez travelled from the Miraflores presidential palace to the National Assembly in the back of an open-topped limo, with bodyguards running alongside and throngs of red-clad supporters cheering as they lined the route.

This year's election battle is shaping up to be the toughest that Chávez has faced in his 13 years in power. He underwent cancer surgery in June, then four rounds of chemotherapy. A newly united opposition coalition sees this election as the best chance to unseat him.

Most analysts, however, see Chávez having the edge and securing another six-year term.

A report on Friday by Control Risks, a global consultancy, said Chavez had a 55% hance of winning, while the opposition had a 40% chance of victory. The report also said there was a 5% chance Chávez would install an open dictatorship if he lost.

“Although dterioration in Chávez's health could alter the outlook, he remains the marginal favourite to win re-election because of his greater campaign resources, de facto control over the electoral authorities and undoubted charisma,” wrote analyst Nicholas Watson of the report's most likely scenario.

Parliamentary elections in September showed Venezuelan public opinion split down the middle between Chávez supporters and opponents. Whoever he faces at the ballot in October, it is expected to be a close race.

The opposition coalition will hold primaries next month to select a single candidate who will face Chávez in October.

The latest two opinion polls put the youthful Miranda state governor, Henrique Capriles Radonski, firmly in the lead with between 35% and 55% of votes.
 

Published in: Politics, Latin America.
Tags: Henrique Capriles Radonski, Hugo Chávez, Venezuela, Venezuela general elections.

12 comments Feed

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1 briton (#) Jan 15th, 2012 - 01:22 am Report abuse
to mr RAUL
hello
Hugo Chavez, nice man, loyal man, friend of that great democracy [Argentina]
Yes nice man huge Chavez, kind gentleman ,
Hope you get well soon, ah isn’t he a nice man, he loves his people, treats everybody with respect,
A man to be proud of,
By then mr hugo chavez,
IS THAT OK RAUL,
Not offensives in any way,
No childish remarks,
No insults,
WELL Mr RAUL does this then mean that all your fellow compatriots will also be using polite words to my fellow British bloggers, and no insults,
Are you saying that the argentine bloggers are all convent trained
Is this an improvement on , my Pathetic and Pitiful your comment
Made to your other friend,
It was only an innocent comment, unfitting of an Englishman,
To an obvious highly educated gentlemen like your self,
I should not of implied that he was an ass,
[YOU ARE]

.
2 ChrisR (#) Jan 15th, 2012 - 08:19 pm Report abuse
Chavez is deluding no-one but himself about his 'miraculous recovery': he will be dead in twelve months.
3 briton (#) Jan 15th, 2012 - 08:26 pm Report abuse
tickle tickle .
4 O gara (#) Jan 15th, 2012 - 10:36 pm Report abuse
Christy you had Cristina dead two weeks ago you were like one of those guys who had orgasms on top of a dead woman.Have u become gay?
5 xbarilox (#) Jan 16th, 2012 - 02:06 am Report abuse
@ 4 the only one who believed she was sick is you paddy, no one else but you. watch out paddy, there is a little green man behind you!
6 briton (#) Jan 16th, 2012 - 02:08 am Report abuse
A very silly remark,
You may well expect a reply,
You people never learn, you think insults are the norm with no consequences,
7 ElaineB (#) Jan 16th, 2012 - 09:20 am Report abuse
Many good sources have indicated that Chavez did not seek treatment at an early stage and his cancer was too advanced for him to recover. Even his own family doctor - who susequently had to flee the country - confirmed he does not have much time left. I would have thought his bloated appearance shows the level of medication he is taking as he attempts to get re-elected before he expires.
8 ChrisR (#) Jan 16th, 2012 - 10:28 am Report abuse
4) Will you never learn that this sort of pathetic response will just put yourself in the worst possible light. You are also have me mixed up with someone else, I never said CFK should die, I even said that the time she was having off may be too short for the woman to recover: but heh! She never had thyroid cancer. 33,600 tests without a failure until CFK: I wonder if her neck is smooth now?

7 I have said this for some while now, ever since we saw the first up-to-date photo of him: classic reaction by his doctors to failed chemo, he appears to be pumped up with steroids in one last ditch attempt to kill the tumours.
9 briton (#) Jan 16th, 2012 - 03:51 pm Report abuse
to mr RAUL
where are you,
stop hiding, you made an error,
you wont be the first and wont be the last, to say things out of context,
stop hiding now,
come out, your fellow bloggers are asking of you .?
10 Yuleno (#) Jan 16th, 2012 - 05:18 pm Report abuse
They're all here Briton ChrisR.xabedabe and ElaineB.
11 xbarilox (#) Jan 16th, 2012 - 05:30 pm Report abuse
@ 10 and you're here too :)
12 briton (#) Jan 16th, 2012 - 06:17 pm Report abuse
he happens to be an argentinian i think.

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