(Vatican Radio) Venezuela's Electoral Council is pushing ahead with a partial audit
of the presidential election.
The Electoral Council in Venezuela says it will
start the examination of 46 per cent of the original vote on 6 May, and will complete
its scrutiny by 4 June. However, it has already stressed this will not mean a change
of the result, which stands.
President Nicolas Maduro, the hand-picked successor
of Hugo Chavez, won the election, by less than two per cent of the vote.
Main
oppostion leader Henrique Capriles, who initially agreed to this process, but then
refused to continue, called it a joke. He says he will take his case for a fresh election
all the way to the Supreme Court. He insists there was widespread fraud and coercion.
Maduro, who was inaugurated as president on 19 April, visited Cuba to pledge
the continuity of the economic lifeline alliance. More than 50 bilateral projects
were agreed to during his trip.