He also played an aggressive role as spokesman for the Bush campaign during the vote recount in Florida.

He has asked the Florida's courts to let the vote recount continue, and the process could take several weeks.

Why should they cooperate when continuing the vote recount could mean a victory for Mr. Gore?

In other words, the vote recount can be resolved according to law, and Republicans will still control the outcome.

The defeated candidate Álvaro Noboa asked for a vote recount, which was denied by the authority responsible.

It was ruled a false alarm, but this provided small comfort as the frenetic vote recount flayed the nerve endings of a nation.

On June 2, the day following the first session of the new Congress, the vote recount took place.

The vote recount, however, remains suspended, and opposition leaders have begun to call for the resignation of Mr. Tavares.

Stivers lost by 2,311 votes, conceding on December 7, 2008 after a long vote recount.

After a vote recount, Aubry was declared the winner 25 November 2008, with the margin widening to 102 votes.