Venezuelans Disagree on Candidate

          By The Associated Press

          CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuelan political parties have failed
          to agree on a unity presidential candidate who could defeat a former coup
          plotter who leads all polls, a top party official confirmed Tuesday.

          A unity candidate ``hasn't been possible due to individualism and
          conflicting personalities,'' Donald Ramirez, secretary-general of the Social
          Christian COPEI Party, told The Associated Press.

          The failure will probably amount to yet another boost for Hugo Chavez,
          the former coup leader whose Patriotic Pole coalition won a plurality in
          Venezuela's Legislature in Nov. 8 regional elections. Chavez is also the
          front-runner in the Dec. 6 presidential race.

          COPEI and its presidential candidate, former Miss Universe Irene Saez,
          began talks on Nov. 16 with candidates, parties, businessmen and the
          Catholic Church about creating a united front -- a so-called Democratic
          Pole -- to oppose Chavez's Patriotic Pole.

          Chavez led an unsuccessful military revolt against the government in 1992.
          His candidacy has polarized Venezuela between the poor who see him as
          a hero and the wealthy establishment that fears he will impose a
          dictatorship and roll back free-market economic reforms.

          Ramirez gave no precise reason for the failure to find a unity candidate.

          Yale-trained businessman Henrique Salas is in second place in the polls.
          An independent, he has refused to join forces with COPEI and
          Democratic Action, apparently fearing association with discredited
          political parties could hurt his candidacy.

          Saez, the former beauty queen, has gone from first place in the polls to
          fourth in recent months. Support from COPEI is seen as the main reason
          for her descent.