Venezuelans have rejected constitutional changes proposed by Hugo Chavez, the president, in a close-run referendum, according to the National Electoral Council. Chavez conceded defeat in a live broadcast on Monday, having narrowly lost the vote on proposed changes to the constitution that included the removal of presidential term limits. The electoral authority announced early on Monday the "No" camp had won 51 per cent of the vote compared to the pro-Chavez "Yes" camp's 49 per cent. It said the result could not be reversed with the number of uncounted votes remaining and declared Chavez the loser. It was the first victory for an emboldened opposition against Chavez after nine years of electoral defeats. Adolfo Taylhardat, an opposition politician, told Al Jazeera the result was "a victory for Venezuelan democracy". "We have defeated president Chavez's intention to change the type of state we are living in," he said. "He wanted to turn Venezuela from a democracy to a socialist state in which he would have almost full power." Voted down Chavez's 69 proposed changes would have allowed him to control Venezuela's foreign currency reserves, appoint loyalists over regional elected officials and censor the media if he declares an emergency. It would also have allowed him to run for re-election indefinitely. But students, rights groups, business lobbies, opposition parties, the Roman Catholic Church and former political allies all lined up against Chavez, calling the proposed changes authoritarian. Even Chavez's usually loyal ex-wife voted against his reforms.

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