Caracas - Venezuelans' overwhelming approval of a referendum rewriting the constitution, a victory for the President, Mr Hugo Chavez, sparked a debate yesterday on division of powers in the South American nation.
"We're entering a new phase which I'm sure will be more contentious," said Mr Chavez, who backed granting the body "sovereign" power despite limits set by the Supreme Court and backed by opposition leaders.
And Venezuelan newspapers warned yesterday that Mr Chavez should heed the "silent message" from the estimated 60.9 per cent of 11 million eligible voters sent by staying away from the polls in an election the Diario de Caracas newspaper termed "illegitimate but legal". Mr Chavez has clashed with Congress over the last few weeks, threatening to declare a nationwide state of emergency if lawmakers did not give him special powers to implement tough economic reforms, and with the Supreme Court, which opposes a constitutional assembly with limitless powers.