Hugo Chavez faces critical vote test

Reveille blared from sound trucks to awaken voters and the bugle call was later replaced by folk music mixed with a recording of Chavezs voice saying those who love the homeland come with me. At many polling places, voters started lining up hours before polls opened at dawn.Chavezs challenger, Henrique Capriles, has united the opposition in a contest between two camps that distrust each other so deeply there are concerns whether a close election result will be respected.The stakes couldnt be higher.If Chavez wins a new six-year term, he gets a free hand to push for an even bigger state role in the economy, further limit dissent and continue to befriend rivals of the United States.If Capriles wins, a radical foreign policy shift can be expected along with an eventual loosening of state economic controls and an increase in private investment though a tense transition would likely follow until the January inauguration because Chavezs political machine thoroughly controls the wheels of government.Many Venezuelans were nervous about what might happen if the disputes erupt over the elections announced outcome.Im really tired of all this polarization, said Lissette Garcia, a 39-year-old clothes seller and Capriles supporter who voted Sunday in the affluent Caracas district of Las Mercedes. I want to reconnect with all my friends who are Chavistas.Chavezs critics say the president has inflamed divisions by labeling his opponents fascists, Yankees and neo-Nazis, while Chavez backers allege Capriles would halt generous government programs that assist the poor.During Chavezs final rally Thursday in Caracas, he shouted to the crowd: Were going to give the bourgeoisie a beatingIn downtown Caracas, long lines of hundreds of voters snaked along sidewalks and around blocks.David Hernandez, a Chavez supporter, agreed the mood was tense but he blamed the opposition.Chavez is going to win and Capriles will have to accept his defeat, Hernandez said, standing next to his parked motorcycle on a downtown street. If Capriles doesnt accept his defeat, there could be problems.Violence flared sporadically during the campaign, including shootings and rock-throwing during rallies and political caravans. Two Capriles supporters were shot to death in the western state of Barinas last weekend.Troops were dispatched across Venezuela to guard thousands of voting centers Sunday.Chavez, who says he has emerged successfully from long treatment for cancer, held an impromptu news conference Saturday night, and when asked about the possibility of disputes over the vote, he said he expected both sides to accept the result.Its a mature, democratic country where the institutions work, where we have one of the best electoral systems in the world, Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace.But he also said he hoped no one would try to use the vote to play a destabilizing game. If they do, he said, well be alert to neutralize them.His opponents mounted a noisy protest in Caracas and other major cities on Saturday night, beating pots and pans from the windows of their homes to show displeasure with Chavez and also their hopes for change. Drivers on downtown streets honked horns, joining the din.The 40-year-old Capriles, a wiry former governor affectionately called Skinny by supporters, has infused the opposition with new optimism and opinion polls pointed to him giving Chavez his closest election.Some recent polls gave Chavez a lead of about 10 percentage points, while others put the two candidates roughly even.Chavez is going to fight until his last breath. He doesnt know how to do anything else, said Antonio Padron, a bank employee backing the president.