"The CNE ... credited the citizen Nicolas Maduro ... as President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, elected in the election held on April 14, 2013 to complete the constitutional period of six years," said the rector Tibisay Lucena Maduro in a ceremony that was aired on radio and television from the electoral authorities' headquarters in Caracas.

　　Maduro won 7,563,747 votes, or 50.75 percent of the total, in Sunday's election, ahead of opposition challenger Henrique Capriles, who garnered 48.97 percent of total ballots, Lucena said, noting that the demands of Capriles to recount the votes represent an attempt to "ignore" the rule of law prevailing in the country.

　　"I am the son of Chavez, a Chavista and I am the first Chavista president after Hugo Chavez and I will fulfill his legacy to protect the humble, the poor," said Maduro during his speech at the proclamation at the CNE.

　　The president-elect also accused the opposition of defying democratic institutions. He said that Capriles' call for a recount implies a coup against the majority.

　　"Majority is majority and democracy should be respected. Whoever seeks to undermine the majority in democracy is what is calling a coup," he said.

　　Maduro, candidate from the ruling United Socialist Party, will complete the remaining of the six-year term left by late President Hugo Chavez starting from January.

　　More than 18.9 million Venezuelan voters went to the polls on Sunday to choose a successor to Chavez, who died of cancer in March.