CARACAS (AFP)--Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has penciled in Feb. 15 as the date for a referendum that, if passed, would give him a license to run for re- election indefinitely.

The leftist leader, a fierce critic of the U.S. for much of the decade he has already spent in power, predicted in his weekly television broadcast on Sunday that half the country's 17 million registered voters would back him.

"Two years ago (in the last presidential elections), 7.3 million voters voted for me. I don't expect any less than that. We are going towards 10 million ( votes)," he said.

He said the referendum "could take place on Sunday, the 15th of February," but that technical considerations were still being weighed.

Venezuelan lawmakers last Thursday approved the referendum in the first of two debates they have to hold on the issue. The next debate is scheduled for Jan. 5.

The measure to allow Chavez to run for re-election indefinitely has to be approved by the National Assembly before it is put to the referendum. That step is seen as a formality, however, given the president's support among lawmakers.

Venezuela's constitution has already been changed once, after Chavez came to power in 1998, to allow him to run for just one re-election. He won a new mandate in 2006.

Chavez's attempt to rewrite the basic law once again to remain in power, in a referendum a year ago, was met with defeat.

How he will fare in February's referendum, however, is an open question.

The Venezuelan leader still enjoys high public popularity of over 50%, and he has vowed to be a contender in the 2012 presidential election if the constitutional amendment is passed.

But opposition groups emboldened by his December 2007 defeat have increased their efforts to block him.

University students, who were vocal in rejecting the constitutional amendment in last year's referendum, have announced more demonstrations and actions against Chavez.

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
  12-22-08 1139ET
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