Bush Says Preparing to Serve As US President

Republican George W. Bush said on the night of November 26 that he and Dick Cheney will undertake the responsibility of preparing to serve as the next president and vice president of the United States.

Bush made the remarks after he was declared the winner of the US presidential election in Florida State over Democrat Al Gore -- a victory Democrats will challenge in a legal assault before the Texas governor can be confirmed by the state's top election official.

Florida's Secretary of State Katherine Harris announced that Bush had edged Gore by 537 votes out of 6 million cast in the November 7 election.

Speaking in Austin, Texas State, Bush said he and Cheney are " honored and humbled to have won the state of Florida," and with it, the presidential election.

Gore Party to Contest

Minutes after Harris's announcement, however, Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman told reporters in Washington that they had no choice but to contest the outcome.

"From the beginning of this extraordinary period of time, Vice President Gore and I have asked only that the votes that were cast on Election Day be counted," Lieberman said.

"This evening, the secretary of state of Florida has decided to certify what by any reasonable standard is an incomplete and inaccurate count of the votes cast in the state of Florida," he added.

He noted that "It is in our nation's interest that the winner in Florida is truly the person got the most votes."

Bush Declared Winner of Florida's Presidential Race

Florida election officials on November 26 declared Republican George W. Bush the winner of the state's presidential ballots, but Democratic Al Gore's campaign moved quickly to contest the outcome.

In a brief ceremony in Tallahassee, Florida, Secretary of State Katherine Harris and two other members of the state canvassing commission signed the returns, declaring that Bush won the state's 25 electoral votes with a margin of 537 votes in the popular votes.

Harris, a Republican and co-chairman of Bush campaign in the state, said that Bush gained 2,912,790 votes while Gore got 2,912, 253 votes.

"On behalf of the State Elections Canvassing Commission and in accordance with the laws of the state of Florida, I hereby declare Gov. George W. Bush the winner of Florida's 25 electoral votes for the President of the United States," Harris said.









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