Venezuelans fear turmoil after Chavez referendum

He predicts he will win by 10 per cent, but most polls show a neck-and-neck race between backers of the referendum, which Chavez says will usher in “21st century socialism”, and those who call it an assault on democracy.

Voters were awakened by a predawn state-ordered bugle call mixed with sirens and fake cannon fire to prompt them to head out to their polling stations.

With campaigning marred by violence, many Venezuelans fear political turbulence in the OPEC member nation if the losing side refuses to accept the results of Sunday’s vote. But early voting appeared to be orderly and under sunny skies.

Faced with concerns from even moderate supporters that the reforms will give Chavez too much power, he has tried to portray the vote as a plebiscite on his rule.

Government worker Yelitza Rodriguez (37) said she voted for the referendum as a step toward creating a more equal society, despite her misgivings about indefinite reelection. “Most of the reform favours the people,” she said.

Chavez, a former paratrooper who has led Venezuela since 1999 and is a close ally of Cuba and Iran, also has escalated his verbal attacks on the US Government and opponents at home to rally followers behind him.

“Whoever votes ‘Yes’ is voting for Chavez and whoever votes ‘No’ is voting for George W Bush,” Chavez told supporters at a massive rally in Caracas on Friday.

A “Yes” vote would scrap limits on how long Chavez can rule as President and he has said he will stay on for decades if Venezuelans keep voting for him. The reforms also would give him control over the central bank and foreign currency reserves bloated by high oil export revenues, reduce the workday to six hours and extend social security benefits to self-employed workers like street vendors.

Chavez loyalists already control Congress and critics say he has stacked the Supreme Court and the election council with followers. Opponents believe he would use the new powers to impose dictatorial rule.

Many of Chavez’s own supporters are unenthusiastic about the reforms and are more concerned about jobs, crime, housing and recent shortages of basic foods.

Chavez leads a growing anti-US bloc in South America and his Leftist allies in Ecuador and Bolivia also are trying to use Constitutional rewrites to increase presidential powers and extend state control of energy resources.

Chavez accuses the Bush administration of planning to meddle with the referendum vote and threatened to halt oil exports to the US. He froze relations with Spain after King Juan Carlos publicly told him to “shut up” at a recent summit.