Venezuela primary called off

CARACAS, Venezuela — Eight candidates opposing Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez called off a primary election set for Sunday, saying they had unanimously agreed to support the front-runner and best-financed among them, Gov. Manuel Rosales.

The announcement is seen as yielding to the financial and political costs of holding a primary and to the reality that Rosales stands the best chance against Chávez in the Dec. 3 presidential race.

Previously, Rosales, the governor of Zulia state, and seven other politicians had decided to participate in a winner-take-all primary to choose a candidate whom they all would support.

The presidential campaign kicks off this week, and Chávez is expected to file for re-election Saturday. The former army paratrooper, who took power in 1999 and has survived a coup attempt, a crippling general strike and a recall election, is the heavy favorite to win another term.

According to one recent poll, Rosales, 53, trails Chávez in preference polls with only 9 percent of likely respondents saying they would vote for him, compared with Chávez's 56 percent support.

Chávez, a harsh critic of U.S. policy and President Bush, has built a strong following among the poor for his use of the nation's oil wealth to promote health, education, housing and discount food social programs.

Rosales acknowledged in television and radio interviews Wednesday that he faces un uphill battle and that "time is short." But in an acceptance speech before supporters he hammered away at what some analysts say are Chávez's vulnerabilities: his massive foreign aid programs, the government-approved takeovers of land and buildings and the perception that crime is on the increase.

In a ruling this week that brought relief to the governor's supporters, the National Election Council said Rosales could run for president without having to resign his governorship, as some had said the law required. However, the council also refused to set campaign spending caps, a move perceived as giving an advantage to Chavez.

Rosales, whose education extended only through high school, is the father of eight children. He is a lifelong politician who enjoys solid support in Zulia, a prosperous oil- and cattle-producing state. His fiery anti-Chávez oratory plus his visibility and financial resources as governor propelled him to the top of the list of challengers.

The challenger with second-best poll numbers after Rosales, attorney and talk-show host Julio Borges, said through a spokeswoman Wednesday said that he will be Rosales' running mate for vice president.