CARACAS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's electoral authorities on Tuesday officially confirmed that President Hugo Chavez had been re-elected in Sunday's election.

    "I proclaim the citizen Hugo Rafael Chavez Fria president of the republic," National Electoral Council president Tibisay Lucena told a ceremony attended by the leftist leader.

    Chavez, who has governed Venezuela for the past eight years, won another term with 62.89 percent of the vote, far ahead of his rival Manuel Rosales, governor of the western oil state of Zulia, who also campaigned on a populist platform.

    "Venezuelans didn't vote for me, they voted for a socialist project to build a socialist Venezuela, a different Venezuela," Chavez told the ceremony.

    "The path of this republic is a revolution, a democratic revolution, a social revolution, a political revolution, an economic revolution," said Chavez.

    Meanwhile, the United States extended an olive branch to the long-time foe, saying Washington was willing to seek a less conflictive relationship with him.

    "We're ready, willing and eager to explore and see if we can make progress on bilateral issues," U.S. Ambassador to the country William Brownfield told Union Radio.

    Brownfield said Washington congratulated Venezuelans on a peaceful vote that saw a high turnout, acknowledging Chavez was re-elected by the decision of the Venezuelan people.

    As the No. 1 buyer of Venezuelan oil, the United States remainsin tensions with Venezuela.

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    Chavez claims presidential election victory

   

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez greets his supporters after winning the re- election in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

CARACAS, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declared on Sunday that he had won a new term in the presidential election.

    Of the 78 percent of votes counted, Chavez won 61 percent, far ahead of his rival Manuel Rosales, according to Tibisay Lucena, head of the elections council.

    Rosales has conceded defeat. "We admit that they defeated us today," he told reporters.

    The voting started at 6:00 a.m. local time (1000 GMT) in around 11,118 polling stations in all 23 states plus capital Caracas. About 16 million citizens were registered to vote.