CARACAS, Feb 16: President Hugo Chavez and his supporters celebrated victory on Monday after Venezuelans voted to scrap term limits on elected posts, paving the way for him to seek re-election in 2012 and beyond.

Chavez, a flamboyant and tireless campaigner, said he intended to stand for a third term in 2012.

“The doors of the future are wide open,” Chavez boomed from the balcony of his Miraflores palace to cheering supporters as fireworks lit up the sky.

“In 2012 there will be presidential elections for the 2013-19 period and, unless God has planned something else, unless the people have planned something else, this soldier is now a pre-candidate for the Republic’s presidency,” the former paratrooper said.

The leftist leader -- popular with the country’s poor for his oil-funded health care and education programs, and blamed by a vocal opposition for rising crime, corruption and inflation -- recently celebrated 10 years in power.

Chavez won a larger victory on Sunday than polls had predicted, with 54.36 percent of preliminary results compared with 45.63 per cent for the opposition, according to the National Electoral Council.

“This was the campaign with most abuses of public resources that we have ever seen,” said Carlos Vecchio, a member of an opposition grouping.

“We surpassed five million votes,” another opposition leader, Omar Barboza, pointed out proudly.

Chavez said he received his first congratulations from his mentor, former Cuban president Fidel Castro.

“This victory is also yours, Fidel, of the Cuban people and of the people of Latin America,” responded Chavez.

The president was previously allowed two consecutive terms, which would have forced Chavez to step down at the end of his second mandate in 2013.

The proposed amendment was Chavez’s second bid to extend presidential term limits after a package of sweeping constitutional changes, including an end to term limits, was struck down by voters in December 2007. —AFP