Venezuela President Maduro asks SC to audit elections, draws criticism

Venezuela's President Nicols Maduro said he asked the country's Supreme Court to conduct an audit of the presidential election after opposition leaders disputed his claim of victory, drawing swift condemnation by independent observers.

Maduro told reporters Wednesday that the ruling party is also ready to show the totality of the vote tally sheets from Sunday's election.

I throw myself before justice, he said to reporters outside the Supreme Court's headquarters in Caracas, adding that he is willing to be summoned, questioned, investigated.

This is Maduro's first concession to demands for more transparency about the election. However, the Supreme Court is closely aligned with his government; federal officials propose the court's justices and they are ratified by the National Assembly, which is dominated by Maduro sympathisers.

The Carter Centre criticised Maduro's audit request, saying the court wouldn't provide an independent review.

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