Rector Vicente Diaz acknowledges Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela

"I have no evidence to doubt the results"

TeleSUR / RNV Web Press.

Lunes, 22 de Abril de 2013 10:33 The rector of CNE assured he requested the review of all paper ballots "to add another layer of confidence in a highly polarized country" The rector of the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela, Vicente Diaz, this Sunday acknowledged Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela, elected last April 14 by the popular will with a 50.78 percent of the vote. He said he has never had "evidence to doubt the (electoral) results". "Yes, I acknowledge President Maduro (...) I've never had evidence to doubt the results," said Diaz during an interview for a private media of the South American nation. He clarified that the same day when were known the results of the elections, he asked the CNE and the campaign headquarters, both the Hugo Chavez command and the anti-Chavista one led by Henrique Capriles, to review all paper ballots "not for being in doubt of the results, but because the country is highly polarized. " The CNE rector added that he also made the request "given the narrow margin, it was the most appropriate thing to do to add another layer of confidence in the results." Diaz explained that currently "an audit is being made. In fact, last Thursday was made the pre-dispatch audit in its second Phase, where are verified paper ballots, tally sheets and voter lists of a total of 0.5 percent of boxes additional to the audits of a 54 percent in the polls that are done with board members and witnesses. " He noted that this Phase Two audit "is made with CNE technicians and therefore the check takes some time". This whole process "is contemplated within the electoral guarantees," he added. This Saturday, the CNE clarified that the audit will be done to the remaining 46 percent of ballot boxes that were issued in the last presidential election, it is not a recount, and therefore urged the people not to have false expectations on the electoral process. '' Here we gave some results on April 14, that are irreversible'' and ''the CNE, the electoral event has ended'' as said the rector of the electoral body, Sandra Oblitas, in a press conference. The recount of votes "does not exist in the legal regulations of the CNE (...), which is why there is no possibility that the election result that was given on April 14 can be modified," she added. The National Electoral Council announced on Thursday its decision to accept the request made by the anti-Chavista campaign Command, in connection with an audit of the elections held on Sunday April 14, on which was victorious President Nicolas Maduro. Its president, Tibisay Lucena, clarified that the Electoral Power issued last April 14 "clear results". She stressed that it is "an electoral system that was, and has long been, subjected to the auditing and assurance tests that give to it a guarantee of strength and robustness".