Ding Dong the Witch is Dead?

CARACAS, Venezuela - Humbled by his first electoral defeat ever, President Hugo Chavez said Monday he may have been too ambitious in asking voters to let him stand indefinitely for re-election and endorse a huge leap to a socialist state.

"I understand and accept that the proposal I made was quite profound and intense," he said after voters narrowly rejected the sweeping constitutional reforms by 51 percent to 49 percent.

Opposition activists were ecstatic as the results were announced shortly after midnight — with 88 percent of the vote counted, the trend was declared irreversible by elections council chief Tibisay Lucena.

Some shed tears. Others began chanting: "And now he's going away!"

Without the overhaul, Chavez will be barred from running again in 2012.

Foes of the reform effort — including Roman Catholic leaders, media freedom groups, human rights groups and prominent business leaders — said it would have granted Chavez unchecked power and imperiled basic rights. [link]

I'm not sure how Chavez let this happen, but it is good news for the people of Venezuela. Of course, I expect him to again try to consolidate his power before 2012 when he is supposed to step down (see Putin). Until Chavez is officially gone and someone else steps in, I'll be cautious on this one.

tag: Venezuela, socialism, vote, Blogpower, Lord Nazh