President Hugo Chávez said on Wednesday his push to have Venezuela accept sweeping constitutional reforms has ”not finished” despite being rejected in a weekend referendum.
”The discussion on the transformation of the state is not finished,” he told state VTV television.
”While the opposition continues to celebrate a pyrrhic victory, this is the moment to start a real period of reflection of self-criticism,” he said.
Chávez on Sunday lost his bid to have 69 constitutional changes passed by referendum.
The measures were defeated 51% to 49%, with even many traditional Chávez supporters balking at his drive to be able to be re-elected indefinitely and turn the country into a ”socialist economy”.
The result was a deep blow to the president, who up to now had always emerged from the polls with easy victories. He has been keeping an uncharacteristically low profile since losing.
Under the current Constitution, Chávez (53) will have to step down in January 2013 at the end of his mandate.
”The people have the ability to take my initiative and modify it so it is easier to understand, as long as it maintains the prime goal of transforming the state,” the president said.
The only ways left for Chávez to now have some of his reforms passed is to impose some of them by decree, or to set up a constituent assembly, which could draft an entirely new constitution.
Both of those would be risky propositions for the president, especially as the opposition — including university students and former government allies — have grown and become emboldened by its victory in the referendum.
Nevertheless, Chávez was defiant.
”Whoever says that the revolution has suffered a defeat, well let me tell them that the revolution is stronger than ever, the Bolivarian revolution is here to stay,” he said. — Sapa-AFP