VENEZUELA: Venezuelans put final touches to election preparations a day ahead of presidential vote

Venezuelans made final preparations on Saturday (December 2), just one day ahead of the country's highly anticipated presidential election. Sunday's (December 3) vote pits incumbent president Hugo Chavez against the governor of Venezuela's Zulia state, Manuel Rosales. Recent polls have Chavez holding a comfortable double-digit lead over Rosales. On Saturday, voters waited in long lines outside voting stations to register their IDs. By law, they cannot vote if they do not present a registered ID on Sunday. The atmosphere was slightly tense around Caracas as supporters for both candidates wondered if election day would go smoothly, but many were hopeful. "I hope that everything is respected and I think that everything will be respected because so far there have not been any tricks and everything has been clean," said one voter. Election officials put the finishing touches on the organisation and distribution of election material while soldiers began to take up positions on the street. Meanwhile, Rosales' home city of Maracaibo remained calm as voters there prepared. A similar tension permeated the city. "My wife asked me to buy food because she is afraid that there will be problems. I told her that everything will be calm and that here, nothing is going to happen, that everything is under control. The Comandante (referring to Chavez) is going to win and everything will go very well," said resident Melquias Rivera. Rosales supporter Richard Royal also said he hopes everything stays calm. "We are going to vote massively, all the Zulians, for our president, Manuel Rosales. With the favour of God, I hope that there will not be a problem with the government (referring to Chavez's side), nor discord among ourselves because we are all Venezuelans, we want unity," he said. Polls open at 6am local time (1000GMT).

ITN Source | December 3, 2006

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