Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro has won re-election to another six-year term, in a vote marred by an opposition boycott and claims of vote-rigging.
Amid food shortages stemming from a severe economic crisis turnout was low.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) put it at just 46 per cent but the opposition alleges it was even lower.
The main opposition candidate, Henri Falcón, rejected the result soon after the polls closed and called for new elections.
“We do not recognise this electoral process as valid… we have to have new elections in Venezuela,” he said.
With more than 90 per cent of the votes counted, Maduro had 67.7 per cent – 5.8 million votes – CNE chief Tibisay Lucena announced. Mr Falcón had won 21.2 per cent – 1.8 million votes – she said.
With Venezuela’s main opposition coalition boycotting the election, a win by President Maduro had been widely expected. What observers were more interested in was to see how many Venezuelans would turn out to vote.
The CNE said turnout would probably rise to 48 per cent, still well below the figure in the 2013 presidential election, when almost 80 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots.
The opposition, however, accused the CNE of inflating its figures and claimed the real number was closer to 30 per cent. A source within the CNE told Reuters that only 32.3 per cent of eligible voters had cast their ballot by 18:00 local time, when most voting stations closed.
Under the Venezuelan constitution, the CNE is the official independent body responsible for overseeing and guaranteeing the transparency of all elections.
It is made up of five members. The opposition alleges that four of the five are government stooges and therefore does not trust the body to be independent.
Luis Emilio Rondón, the one CNE member which has been critical of the government, said he did not recognise the results because “Venezuelans’ freedom to vote” had not been respected.
Maduro and his supporters were jubilant. The 55 year old told cheering crowds outside the presidential palace in Caracas that “the revolution is here to stay!”.
His supporters chanted “let’s go, Nico!” as fireworks went off and confetti was fired in the air.
He also mocked his main rival, Falcón, saying he had been left “groggy” by the knockout victory Maduro had achieved.
And while on the one hand he called for dialogue with the opposition, he also told supporters that “the opposition must leave us alone to govern”.
Previous attempts at dialogue between the opposition and the government have failed.
