December 3, 2007 (LPAC)--Early this morning, President Hugo Chavez grudgingly announced that a majority of Venezuelans had voted against his proposed Constitutional reforms, in yesterday's national referendum. President Chavez's attempt to anoint himself President for life through the reforms, proved to be a mistake. Any President for Life project smacks of dictatorship, and it ignited opposition from layers, such as students and intellectuals, which had previously supported his government.

The reforms would have additionally given the Executive branch the power to reshape political institutions at every level of government, including setting up "communes" to replace municipal and state governments.

The vote, and the Chavez government's acknowledgement of its defeat, heads off, for the moment, a confrontation between radicals within the government and opposition, that had been careening towards civil war in the country. Exemplary of the danger of the radicals, was the attempted assassination of opposition leader, Gen. Raul Baduel, as he left his voting place yesterday.