President Hugo Chavez is predicting a crushing victory Sunday as he seeks another six-year term in the upcoming election, the Associated Press reported. Chavez is running against tough-talking former Zulia state Gov. Manuel Rosales An independent AP-Ipsos poll last month found Chavez with a large lead -- a result echoed in several recent surveys. Rosales supporters cite other polls that predict a tight vote. More than 125,000 soldiers, including some 18,000 armed reservists, were deployed nationwide to provide security and safeguard voting machines and ballots, officials said. Security also was tightened at oil installations. About 16 million Venezuelans are registered to vote and will use electronic voting machines at more than 11,000 polling centers across the South American country. The vote is being monitored by observers from the European Union, the Carter Center and the Organization of American States.
