[highlight]Defeated Venezuelan presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles has demanded a recount of votes, rejecting the election of Nicolas Maduro.[/highlight]
He said there were more than 300,000 incidents from Sunday’s poll that would need to be examined.
Nicolas Maduro, a 50-year-old former bus driver, whom Chavez named as his preferred heir before dying of cancer, edged out opposition challenger Henrique Capriles with 50.7 percent of the votes in Sunday’s election,while Caprilles had 49.1 per cent according to election board returns.
Reacting to the allegations of poll irregularities, Mr Maduro told his supporters that the result was legal and constitutional.
Capriles, whose strong showing confounded most forecasts, refused to recognize the result and said his team had a list of more than 3,000 irregularities ranging from gunshots to the illegal reopening of polling centers.
“I didn’t fight against a candidate today, but against the whole abuse of power,” Capriles, the 40-year-old governor of Miranda state, said after Maduro was declared the winner.
Russian president Vladimir Putin and Cuban leader Raul Castro were among the first heads of state to congratulate Mr Maduro on his win.
