Maduro wins Venezuela vote, Capriles refuses to accept defeat

Venezuelan electoral officials say voters have narrowly elected Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor as president in a razor-close special election Sunday.

Winner Nicolas Maduro campaigned on a promise to carry on Chavez's self-styled socialist revolution, and defeated a two-time challenger who claimed the late president's regime has put Venezuela on the road to ruin.

Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles refused on Monday to accept ruling party candidate Nicolas Maduro's narrow election victory and demanded a recount.

Henrique Capriles says his campaign tally of votes came up with, in his words, "a result that is different from the results announced today."

The official returns announced by the government-dominated electoral council gave the late President Hugo Chavez's chosen successor, Nicolas Maduro, a narrow victory, 50.7 percent to 49.1 percent.

Venezuela's ruling party candidate Nicolas Maduro called for peace and said he would be willing for Sunday's election result to be audited. "We don't want violence, we want peace," Maduro said in a speech to the nation. "They (the opposition) want an audit, we welcome the audit ... I formally request the National Electoral Commission to carry out an audit."

Supporters of Venezuelan presidential election winner Nicolas Maduro celebrated with fireworks over Caracas on Sunday while opposition backers banged pots and pans in protest after a nail-biting vote win for Hugo Chavez's protege.

The contrasting reactions underlined the deep polarization in the South American nation of 29 million people.