Venezuela's acting President Nicolas Maduro has won the Sunday's presidential elections with 50.66 percent of the votes according to official tally. However, opposition challenger Henrique Capriles has refused to accept the election results and demanded a recount of all votes.
Tibisay Lucena, President of National Electoral Council (CNE) said, "With 99.2 percent of the ballots counted, Maduro beat Capriles by a margin of less than 2 percentage points".
Capriles gained 49.07 percent of the votes.
Other candidates got 0.26 percent of the votes and the turnout of Sunday's elections was 78.71 percent, according to Lucena.
"In view of the tightly-raced elections, we have talked with the candidates," she said, adding that the results were "irreversible".
Capriles while reacting on the results said, "I do not compromise with lies and corruption. The opposition will not recognize the results until all votes are counted".
Maduro on the other hand gave a victory speech to the nation saying, "We don't want violence. We want peace. They (the opposition) want an audit. We welcome the audit. I formally request the National Electoral Commission to carry out an audit".
The president-elect said he had called Capriles after winning the elections.
"We have a fundamental difference. I respect your judgment and respect you. But we will not compromise. We can not leave the country on tenterhooks for days, and I prefer that the results be given now," Maduro said of the telephone conversation he had with Capriles.
"I recognize and respect the votes of the opposition, but also ask for ours," Maduro said. "Let' s not fall entangled in a debate that can generate exhaustion."
Maduro, candidate from the ruling United Socialist Party, will complete the remaining of the six-year term left by late President Hugo Chavez starting from January.
Maduro's supporters fired massive fireworks in Caracas in celebration of his victory.
The results surprised many as pre-election polls gave Maduro a nearly 10-point lead over Capriles, who represents the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable coalition.
More than 18.9 million Venezuelan voters went to the polls on Sunday to choose a successor to Chavez, who died of cancer in March.
(with inputs from IANS)
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