OWN CORRESPONDENT, Austin | Monday
REPUBLICAN George W Bush has claimed victory in the US presidential race, after the state of Florida declared him the winner of its bitterly disputed vote count, but Democrat Al Gore has vowed new legal moves to contest Bush’s ascension to the presidency.
Gore’s lawyers have said the vice president will challenge results in three Florida counties – a move that is expected to take at least several days, if not longer, to play out. Also, the US Supreme Court has set for Friday arguments on a Bush challenge to the manual recounting of votes in Florida.
Texas governor Bush spoke in measured tones, opening with conciliatory language and pledging to unite the country, but moved quickly to declare himself the victor in the protracted and bitter dispute about whether he or the Gore won the election of November 7 despite pending legal challenges.
Declaring ”the votes are counted, it is time for the votes to count,” Bush called on Gore to end the legal fight to the outcome in Florida which the state’s Republican secretary of state, Katherine Harris, certified the Texan had won by 537 votes just hours before.
”The election was close but tonight after a count, a recount and yet another manual recount, secretary Dick Cheney and I are honored and humbled to have won the state of Florida, which gives us the needed electoral votes to win the election,” Bush said, speaking from the state capitol building as hundreds of supporters cheered outside.
”We will therefore undertake the responsibility of preparing to serve as America’s next president and vice president.”
Florida’s vote is decisive in determining who will be the 43rd US president as both men need the state’s electoral votes to reach the 270 necessary to win the White House.
Democrats and critics called Bush’s claim premature. ”It was polite, presumptuous arrogance,” said law professor Alan Dershowitz. But a Republican senator, John Warner of Virginia, praised the governor, saying he had ”grabbed the brass ring and said damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”.
Bush said it was time now to move forward in preparing for a new presidency.
”The vice president’s lawyers have indicated he will challenge the certified election results. I respectfully ask him to reconsider,” he said. ”If the vice president chooses to go forward, he is filing a contest to the outcome of the election, and that is not the best route for America.” – Reuters