November 25, 2008	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 26, 1429

CARACAS, Nov 24: President Hugo Chavez’s left-wing party and the growing opposition shared the spoils of Venezuela’s local elections as they jostled for political momentum in the OPEC nation on Monday.

Chavez’s socialist allies won a clear majority of state races but the multi-party opposition dented his dominance of regional posts, wrenching from him control over some of Venezuela’s most populous areas including the capital Caracas.

The results of Sunday’s elections could make more challenging Chavez’s goal of changing the law to run for re-election in 2012, especially after the opposition defeated that move last year in a referendum.

Allies of the anti-US president won 17 of 22 states, officials said, despite widespread voter complaints the government has done too little to control some of the world’s worst murder rates and Latin America’s highest inflation.

The opposition held onto the two states it won at the last regional elections four years ago, appeared to pick up three more including the heavily populated state metropolitan area around Caracas and won the mayoralty of the capital.

The national election authority said on Sunday two of those states were too close to call. But local count officials said Chavez allies lost in both states and the opposition claimed slim victories.

The overall results triggered a public relations battle as each side fought to seize the momentum by persuading Venezuelans it was the victor in an election where a high 65 per cent of voters cast ballots.—Reuters