Venezuela ? Supporters of President Hugo Chavez vowed Monday to accelerate Venezuela’s shift to a “new socialism” after claiming victory in elections that were expected to give pro-Chavez politicians all 167 seats in the National Assembly.

Several of Venezuela’s major opposition parties boycotted the vote on Sunday, which had an estimated turnout of 25 percent and is likely to further polarize Venezuelan society. The country has been deeply divided by the leftist leader’s rhetoric, his alliance with the Cuban leader Fidel Castro and his efforts to seize unproductive farms for poor farmers, start state-funded cooperatives and expand social programs for the poor.

Official results were still pending Monday, but internal tallies showed Chavez’s party won 114 seats and the remainder went to aligned parties, said Willian Lara, a leader of Chavez’s Fifth Republic Movement party.

That would give the party the needed two-thirds majority to allow it to amend the constitution. Some lawmakers have said they hope to extend term limits for all offices, including the president.