CARACAS - Venezuela's next presidential elections will be held on October 7, 2012, President of the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela Tibisay Lucena announced on Tuesday.

Lucena said year 2012 will also see regional legislative elections to be held in December. Local elections will not be held until April 2013.

"We declare a permanent session to evaluate the technical and logistic criteria," Lucena said at a conference press.

Hours before the CNE decision was announced, President Hugo Chavez said he fully respected the decision of the electoral authority.

Chavez, who is recovering from cancer, said in a live television broadcast that the definition of the election schedule had to be done on the grounds of technical merits rather than of political criteria.

Chavez has insisted that despite his cancer, he is fit enough to seek reelection in next year's polls.

Opposition groups maintain an electoral alliance named the Coalition for Democratic Unity and has established February 12, 2012 as the date to elect their candidate who will face Chavez in the October elections.