CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) -- Ex-Venezuelan coup leader Francisco
                   Arias' bid to oust his former ally President Hugo Chavez gained
                   momentum on Wednesday when another main contender for presidential
                   elections in May withdrew from the race.

                   A former state governor who joined Chavez in leading a failed coup attempt
                   in 1992, Arias attacked the year-old, left-leaning government for courting ties
                   with communist Cuba and driving the oil-reliant economy deeper into recession.

                   "It seems that some people have not realized that the Berlin Wall fell," he told
                   a news conference after formally registering his bid at the National Electoral
                   Council (CNE).

                   The presidential duel between the two former comrades in arms has ignited
                   public interest ahead of the May 28 vote in the South American oil exporting
                   nation of 24 million people.

                   Earlier on Wednesday, Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma announced that he
                   had pulled out of the presidential race to avoid splitting the anti-Chavez vote.

                   "I'm convinced that we won't get anywhere with a slew of candidates
                   heading in different directions," he said.

                    Ledezma's withdrawal left former Zulia state governor Arias and former
                    Caracas Mayor Claudio Fermin as the main opponents to Chavez, who has
                    been in power since February 1999.

                   The elections for president, legislators, state governors and mayors have
                   been called to comply with a new constitution approved at a national
                   referendum in December.

                   Chavez, who enjoyed popularity ratings of more than 70 percent, had
                   been expected to comfortably win the presidential vote and gain majority
                   control of the National Assembly and regional governments.

                   Chavez, Arias supporters scuffle

                   But the emergence of Arias, whose moderate, measured style contrasts
                   greatly with Chavez's firebrand leftist nationalism, has breathed life into a
                   fragmented opposition.

                   Hinting at opposition criticism of Chavez's populist style and desire to
                   concentrate power in his own hands, Arias said his government would
                   "overcome personalism, cronyism, nepotism, authoritarian temptations,
                   messianism and demagogy."

                   Groups of Arias and Chavez supporters scuffled briefly outside the CNE
                   headquarters in central Caracas as Arias registered his election bid.

                   Chavez supporters set alight Arias pamphlets and chanted "Judas No!," in
                   reference to claims by government aides that Arias and two other leaders of
                   the 1992 coup betrayed Chavez when they accused his government of
                   corruption in February.

                   Arias supporters retorted: "Fidel Out!," a reference to Chavez's strong
                   friendship with Cuban President Fidel Castro.

                   According to political analysts, Arias appeals to both staunch Chavez critics
                   and former Chavez supporters disillusioned with soaring unemployment and
                   crime under his government.

                   "Arias is a serious contender for Chavez," said pollster Alfredo Keller.
                   "There's a possibility that we go into the May elections with the vote split
                   almost equally between the two."

                   Chavez has made only oblique references to Arias in recent weeks, insisting
                   that the new challenge to his leadership was the latest attempt by traditional
                   power elites to resist his programme of sweeping reforms in favor of the poor.

                   The stakes in the presidential vote have been raised due to changes in the new
                   constitution which extended the presidential term to six from five years and
                   allows incumbent presidents to run for a second consecutive term.

                    Copyright 2000 Reuters.