WORLD NEWS | Tue Oct 18, 2016 | 8:56pm EDT

Venezuela delays state elections to 2017, opposition angry

By Andrew Cawthorne | CARACAS

Elections for Venezuela's state governorships will be held in 2017 rather than December as expected, the election board said on Tuesday, giving the unpopular socialist government more breathing space before going to the polls.

Critics say authorities have delayed the state elections - and are also seeking to derail an opposition push for a referendum to recall President Nicolas Maduro - because they are frightened of letting Venezuelans have their say.

Maduro, who replaced the popular Hugo Chavez in 2013 after his death, has seen his ratings halve to just over 20 percent amid a deep economic crisis in the OPEC nation.

The 23 state governors' four-year terms were to end in early January, with elections anticipated for December.

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