Oct. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may lose a national vote to revise the constitution as some long- time backers view his proposals as a power grab, said the chief of Podemos, a party that split from the ruling coalition.

``We've supported Chavez since the beginning,'' said the party's general secretary, Ismael Garcia, in an interview in Caracas late yesterday. ``He's going to lose this one.''

Podemos, allied with Chavez since his election in 1999, withheld its support for the plan when it was presented in August because it eliminates vital checks and balances in the government, Garcia, 53, said. The party, which holds seven of 167 seats in the National Assembly, helped Chavez regain the presidency during an attempted coup in 2002.

The party's stand on the proposed constitution underscores rising resistance to Chavez's biggest political initiative of the year. The proposal, which scraps presidential term limits, abolishes central bank autonomy and redefines property rights, has set off clashes between police and student protesters in recent weeks.

``This reform is characterized by an increase, in an abusive way, in the concentration of presidential powers,'' Podemos lawmaker Ricardo Gutierrez said an interview in Caracas yesterday. ``It has been done in a big hurry, and that makes it hard for citizens to decide.''

Assembly

Leaders from opposition political party Primero Justicia gathered at the National Assembly building today to observe the discussion about the proposed constitutional changes. Only five were allowed inside.

``We have the right to participate just like any other citizen,'' said Henrique Capriles, mayor of the Baruta municipality near Caracas, and a Primero Justicia member, in comments broadcast by Globovision. ``We're not here to sabotage.''

Last week Venezuelan riot police fired tear gas at thousands of protesters in downtown Caracas as they marched to oppose Chavez's constitutional plan.

The president says the changes are necessary to further his so-called ``Bolivarian revolution,'' named after 19th century revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar. He says the goal is to transform the country's economic and political structure from capitalism to socialism, resulting in more equitable income distribution and a transfer of power directly to the citizens.

`Fraud'

``It's a fraud,'' said Jorge Pabon, dean of legal and political sciences at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. ``This reform is completely aimed at concentrating power in the presidency and blocking liberties. They're trying to install a model that's already failed in Eastern Europe.''

Modifications that would give the president the power to create federal territories across the country to replace existing state and municipal governments are especially worrisome, Pabon said.

Garcia said Chavez has violated the existing constitution by having congress draft the new document, which will later be submitted to a national referendum. A new constitution can only be written by an elected constitutional convention, he said.

Caracas-based polling firm Hinterlaces' survey of 900 adults nationwide from Sept. 25 through 28 found that 47 percent oppose the initiative, while 37 percent support it. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Polls

Local pollster Luis Vicente Leon of Datanalysis said the public is divided in almost equal thirds of supporters, opponents and the undecided.

``Chavez hasn't been able to transfer his popularity to the reform,'' Leon said in a telephone interview.

Among the 69 articles in the 1999 constitution targeted for change, support is weakest for eliminating term limits and redefining property rights, Leon said, adding that he still expects the proposal to be approved.

Ballots in the as-yet-unscheduled referendum will probably require an up-or-down vote on the entire document rather than submitting each change individually, Leon said.

Podemos, which began distancing itself from Chavez a year ago when it declined to join his new Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela, submitted a petition to the electoral regulator to delay the vote by six months to allow for more public debate, Garcia said.

Chavez originally submitted 33 changes in August, and last week the National Assembly, dominated by Chavez supporters, added 36 more.

Garcia said many of the changes, such as the proposal to include language specifically protecting homosexuals from discrimination, are being carried out too hastily.

``They spent four years debating that in Spain,'' he said. ``Here we throw it in overnight.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Matthew Walter in Caracas at mwalter4@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 30, 2007 17:17 EDT