Venezuela's opposition picks Chavez's challenger

CARACAS, Venezuela — Youthful state governor Henrique Capriles won Venezuela's first-ever opposition presidential primary Sunday by a wide margin, emerging as the single candidate who will try to end President Hugo Chavez's 13 years in power.

Capriles, the 39-year-old governor of Miranda state who describes himself as a center-left progressive, faces a tough task in ousting Chavez, a charismatic campaigner with a loyal following and the full powers of the state to back his candidacy in Oct. 7 elections.

Opposition election chief Teresa Albanes announced the preliminary results, saying that Capriles won about 62 percent of the vote, beating Zulia state Gov. Pablo Perez by a margin of more than 30 percentage points.

Chavez's opponents lined up to vote in many areas, surpassing most expectations with a turnout of about 2.9 million ballots cast out of Venezuela's 18 million registered voters.

Capriles had been the front-runner in pre-election polls among five contenders, presenting a younger, energetic alternative to the 57-year-old Chavez, who has recently battled cancer.

"He's going to be the candidate who can get us out of this giant hole we're stuck in," said Carmen Gloria Padilla, a 66-year-old telephone company employee who voted for him.

Thousands of supporters celebrated the win outside Capriles' campaign headquarters, some holding small flags bearing the slogan "There is a way." Fireworks exploded in the sky overhead.

"I aim to be the president of all Venezuelans," Capriles told the crowd, wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with the yellow, blue and red of Venezuela's flag. "It isn't the time of lefts or rights. It's the time of all Venezuelans."

His four defeated rivals promptly united behind Capriles and joined him on the outdoor stage. Standing side-by-side, they grasped hands and raised them.

"In union there's strength!," Capriles shouted.

Some of Capriles' supporters say they think he has a good chance of winning over Venezuelans who otherwise might lean pro-Chavez because he has taken a largely non-confrontational approach toward the president while promising solutions to problems including 26-percent inflation and one of the highest murder rates in Latin America.

Diego Prada, a 23-year-old marketing manager, said he thinks Capriles' inclusive approach offers a much better shot against Chavez than other competitors who have taken a hard line against the president.