Venezuelans Reelect Chavez and Back ‘Revolution,’ Voting Shows

Venezuelans endorsed President Hugo Chavez’s “peaceful revolution” Sunday by electing the charismatic populist to a six-year term and giving his party and its coalition partners a majority in the national legislature, according to preliminary election returns.

After a day of voting marked by long lines but few other problems, Chavez held a decisive 59% to 37% lead over his former ally, Francisco Arias, with 77% of the ballots counted.

The results represent a resounding victory for Chavez, 46, who was seeking endorsement of the profound political changes he has engineered during a whirlwind 18 months in office. Those changes include a new constitution, the dissolution of the old opposition-dominated congress and formation of a new National Assembly, the demise of a corrupt two-party patronage system, and the introduction of a vastly more powerful presidency.

“The revolution has already been baptized,” Chavez said before the polls closed, referring to a series of referendums held in the last year to endorse many of these changes.

The president spent the afternoon unwinding on a baseball diamond.

Amid a respite from seasonal rain showers, Venezuelans braved waits of up to four hours to vote. An estimated 56% of Venezuela’s 11 million eligible voters cast ballots, slightly exceeding forecasts.

By midday, lines stretched for blocks in front of polling places guarded by at least three soldiers each. International election observers attributed delays to the complexity of the ballots and a shortage of computerized voting machines, about 5% of which malfunctioned. Polls that were scheduled to close at 6 p.m. remained open past 10 p.m. to accommodate hundreds of voters.