WASHINGTON - The White House said on Monday that auditing Venezuela's close election that was narrowly won by Nicholas Maduro, the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez's chosen successor, was a necessary and prudent step.Maduro edged out opposition challenger Henrique Capriles with 50.7 percent of the votes, according to election board returns. Capriles took 49.1 percent."Given the tightness of the result - around 1 percent of the votes cast separate the candidates - the opposition candidate and at least one member of the electoral council have called for a 100 percent audit of the results," White House spokesman Jay Carney told a news briefing.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)