By Al Mayadeen English
Nicolas Maduro, 61, has been declared the winner of Venezuela's presidential election by the electoral authority.
National Electoral Council head Elvis Amoroso announced that Maduro received 51% of the vote, defeating his rival Edmundo Gonzalez, who garnered 44%.
He stated that the results were based on data from 80% of the voting stations.
After the announcement of Maduro's victory in the presidential election, celebrations spread across the country, and the president celebrated his win with supporters at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas.
In his first speech after being named the winner of Sunday’s presidential election, Maduro asked for respect for “the sovereign life of Venezuela” and “popular will.”
“This is not the first time that they have tried to violate the peace of the Republic,” he stressed.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the elected President Maduro vowed that "there will be no fascism in Venezuela."
He added, "This is a victory for peace, stability, and the Republican legacy. This is a victory for equality. From today, there will be peace and stability in the country." Addressing late President Hugo Chavez, Maduro said, "This is your victory, Chavez."
The Venezuelan president vowed to defend Venezuela's democracy, laws, and people. He praised the people for their courage despite the demonization campaigns against them and called on the Venezuelan Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate hacking attempts on the electoral process.
Maduro emphasized that he "will not allow Venezuela’s descent into chaos," adding that the people have spoken, "No to capitalism and no to fascism. We are a people who have provided a model for the world to follow."
Maduro vowed that during his new presidential term, he "will dedicate his life to the processes of change to develop the country economically and socially," demanding "respect for the opinion of the people and the constitution and not calling for coups."
Maduro vows national unity, economic focus if re-elected
On Sunday, Maduro said that if re-elected, his administration would focus on unifying the country and tackling economic challenges.
When asked about his priorities if he wins the election, he said, "To further unite the country, deepen the economic, social, cultural and political dialogue, build consensus for the country to have a solid plan for the future, a solid project for the future."
He also mentioned that he would sign a decree for a nationwide dialogue immediately following the presidential election on Monday.
"Communication and dialogue must be constant. I have called for dialogue in the country almost a thousand times. This will be the first decree that I sign tomorrow. I believe in dialogue. The priority is the economy … and social dialogue," Maduro added.
He further said that he would recognize the election results and stressed the importance of respecting the electoral process and the country's constitution.
"Respect for the electoral process is respect for the constitution. Venezuela is a country with a constitution, institutions, and law, and we all must uphold it. We must respect the right to vote … I acknowledge and will acknowledge the arbiter in the elections, the official decisions, and I will make others to pay attention to this," Maduro said after casting his vote.
There were ten candidates in the race, but the competition was primarily between the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro (61 years old), who has been running for a third six-year term, and the opposition's candidate, former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia (74 years old), who has been backed by far-right leader María Corina Machado.
Maduro will now serve another six-year term.
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