Bush lays claim as lawyers move in

A cautiously optimistic George W. Bush last night assured his supporters he would be the next American President as lawyers descended on Florida to challenge the closest presidential race in living memory.

With Vice-President Al Gore whittling down his rival's slim lead in a recount, both candidates hinted they would challenge every irregularity in the state which will decide who gets to the White House.

Florida state officials hope to declare a winner in the knife-edge battle at 5 pm American eastern time (11 am today) - 48 hours after polls closed, despite mounting accusations of vote problems.

But if the contest, precariously poised with Mr Bush leading by only 941 votes over Mr Gore, is still deadlocked after an official recount, then absentee ballots from overseas will have to be counted next Friday.

Before the recount, the official tally gave Mr Bush the lead by 1784 votes, close enough to bring a recount under Florida state law.

By the end of the first day's recounting - covering 32 of Florida's 67 counties - Mr Gore had picked up 843 votes.

In New Zealand terms, the race is so close it equates to a margin of less than five votes in a seat.

At stake are Florida's 25 Electoral College votes, which would put either candidate over the threshold of 270 Electoral College seats that is necessary to win office under America's indirect state-by-state voting system.



The Gore and Bush camps sent lawyers, high-powered advisers and two former Secretaries of State to monitor the high-stakes recount.

Mr Bush, who a year ago expected to easily take the state where his brother Jeb is Governor, said he expected to claim victory.

Mr Gore said the race was an extraordinary moment for democracy, and he pledged to accept the final results of an election which left him with more of the national vote but fewer states and Electoral College seats.



If Florida does have to count the absentee votes, chances are Mr Bush will win. A hefty chunk are from military voters, who overwhelmingly support the Republicans.

The recount is being done amid allegations of efforts to suppress voting by blacks, claims that ballot boxes were left behind at polling places and complaints that a confusing ballot sheet caused several hundred Gore voters in Palm Beach to vote for right wing candidate Pat Buchanan.

They have already filed a lawsuit calling for a fresh vote.

Election officials revealed further confusion in Palm Beach County, where 19,120 ballots were disqualified on election night because they showed votes for more than one candidate.



Both candidates spent yesterday relaxing at their homes - Mr Gore in Carthage, Tennessee, and Mr Bush in Austin, Texas - and planning how to run the White House should they win.

The uncertainty left share markets in limbo. US, Tokyo and Hong Kong stocks finished down, led by sharp selling in technology stocks.

Newspapers around the world - including the Herald - struggled during the topsy-turvy election night.

The Austin American-Statesman, Mr Bush's hometown paper, had to stop the presses after printing more than 500,000 copies with the headline "Bush!" The late edition said "History on Hold."

Herald Online feature: America votes