Venezuelan electoral authorities reject delay blame

The election authorities in Venezuela have rejected accusations that they are to blame for the postponement of today's elections.

Opposition politicians have been calling for the appointment of a new National Electoral Council, but a spokesman for the body said an American computer software company Electoral Systems and Software was to blame for the delay.

Last Thursday the Supreme Court decided to suspend the elections - for more than six thousand posts, including the president - because of problems with the computerised counting system.

No new date has yet been set.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service