Chavez lambasts fraud allegations

The opposition has failed to oust Chavez despite its best efforts

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has rounded on his opponents for alleging fraud in a referendum on his rule.

Mr Chavez won Sunday's poll by 58%, according to preliminary figures. Forty-two percent voted against him.

The president urged the opposition to have the "grace" to accept the results, which are backed by foreign observers.

The opposition has called for a recount of the votes cast and wants a full audit of the electronic voting machines that were used.

Late on Monday, Mr Chavez called for national reconciliation and promised to respect those who voted to oust him.

But he railed against those who still reject the outcome of the referendum.

This is a case unique in the world where the leaders of the opposition do not accept election results Hugo Chavez

"How is it possible that at this stage, some opposition leaders don't have the grace ... to accept that they did not succeed in recalling me?" Mr Chavez said.

Hundreds of Chavez opponents held demonstrations in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on Monday night.

They insist that the result was a "gross manipulation" - as opposition leader Henry Ramos Allup put it.

The anti-Chavez camp has given no details about where the alleged fraud took place, but is demanding a manual recount.

Credibility

BBC regional analyst James Painter says options seem to be fast running out for the opposition - a loose coalition of business leaders, political parties and civic groups.

If they do not accept the results, there will be yet more political instability and they could lose credibility within the country, our analyst adds.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS For President Chavez: 58.25% (4,991,483 votes) Against President Chavez: 41.74% (3,576,517 votes) Your views: What next? Reaction in quotes

Former US President Jimmy Carter, who helped monitor Sunday's vote, said his team of observers had concluded there was a "clear difference in favour" of Mr Chavez.

The head of the Organization of American States, Cesar Gaviria, also said his monitors had found no irregularities.

"Until elements of fraud emerge, we are not going to put the results in doubt," he said.

But the US has declined to back Mr Chavez's apparent victory.

The US State Department said it "noted" and praised the work of the observers, but said it would be premature to describe the outcome as a victory for Mr Chavez until the final result was announced.