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Venezuela’s Elections: Nicolas Maduro Re-Elected President for Second Term

Venezuela’s Elections: Nicolas Maduro Re-Elected President for Second Term
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Current Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was re-elected for a second term in office in an election labelled as "illegitimate" by his main rival, who also demanded that a repeat vote be held later this year.

Venezuela’s Elections: Nicolas Maduro Re-Elected President for Second Term

With more than 90 percent of the ballots cast in Sunday's presidential election counted, the National Election Council announced that Maduro had won another six-year term as he secured 67.7 percent of the vote.

Meanwhile, his main challenger Henri Falcon came in second with 21.2 percent of the vote, followed by the president's other rival, Javier Bertucci, who gained some 10 percent, said the Council's head, Tibisay Lucena.

However, with the country's mainstream opposition having boycotted the vote, the turnout was 46.1 percent, according to the board, which means 8.6 million out of the 20.5 million eligible voters had taken part.

The ballots were recorded electronically, making the voting quick and easy. The presence of the government troops around the polling stations had also ensured safety for the voters.

Some 150 international observers from 30 countries and international organizations were present in the Latin American country to monitor the process.

For their part, as the results were released, Maduro's supporters gathered outside his Miraflores presidential palace in downtown Caracas, celebrating his re-election with fireworks.

Maduro, surrounded by thousands of his supporters, hailed his "popular victory," saying, "This was a historic day! The day of a heroic victory! The day of a beautiful victory - of a truly popular victory."

"Never before has a presidential candidate taken 68 percent of the popular vote," he told the cheering crowd.

"The whole of Venezuela has triumphed! Democracy has triumphed! Peace has triumphed! Constitutionality has triumphed [These were] elections that were constitutional, legitimate and legal," he said. "We have a president of the people! A working president!"

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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