President Hugo Chavez suffered a stunning defeat Monday in a referendum that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely and impose a socialist system in this major U.S. oil supplier, the Associated Press reported. Voters rejected the sweeping measures Sunday by a vote of 51 percent to 49 percent, said Tibisay Lucena, chief of the National Electoral Council. She said that with 88 percent of the votes counted, the trend was irreversible. Opposition supporters shouted with joy as Lucena announced the results on national television early Monday, their first victory against Chavez after nine years of electoral defeats. "This was a photo finish," Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace, adding that he has "heard the voice of the people and will always continue to hear it." Chavez said his respect for the outcome should vindicate his standing as a democratic leader. "From this moment on, let's be calm," he declared. "There is no dictatorship here."
