Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez leads his chief challenger, Manuel Rosales, by 13 to 17 percentage points ahead of the 3 December presidential election, according to a survey released Tuesday by polling firm Consultores 21.
Among respondents who said they intended to vote, 58 percent favored Chavez and 41 percent backed Rosales. Firm chairman Saul Cabrera said the remaining time before election day is insufficient for the opposition to close the gap barring an extraordinary development.
The survey, conducted in late October and early November, suggests Chavez is on course for a fresh six-year term even though a portion of his own supporters have reservations about his "21st century socialism" platform and proposals for unlimited presidential re-election. The margin of error was plus or minus 2 percent.
Cabrera noted that anxiety over electronic voting and fingerprint identification machines could shape turnout. Some voters worry their choices could be traced and government benefits withdrawn as a result. Cabrera cautioned, however, that directly linking a fingerprint scan to an individual's vote is technically difficult, saying the machines "do not generate confidence among voters." He estimated up to 8 percent of the electorate could be swayed by such concerns.
The poll found 54 percent of respondents trust Venezuela's electoral authority, while 45 percent do not.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.