CARACAS, Venezuela (Dispatches) -- Pro-government candidates have swept to victory in Venezuelan gubernatorial races according to official results that have quickly been challenged by the country’s opposition.
Tibisay Lucena, president of the government-stacked National Electoral Council, announced late Sunday that the socialist party had won 17 of 22 races in which the outcomes were considered irreversible, with one other race too close to call.
The council said 61% of the nation’s 18 million voters participated. Gerardo Blyde, an opposition leader, however claimed the official results were fraudulent.  
"There is a wide disparity between the poll numbers and the results which show that these elections were not free and fair and don’t reflect the will of the people,” Michael Shifter, president of the U.S.-based Inter-American Dialogue, claimed.
The opposition called for an audit and urged Venezuelans to mobilize on the streets Monday in support.
President Nicolas Maduro said he had "absolute faith” in the official results but would ask the constitutional assembly to request an audit in order to extinguish any doubts.
"A triumphant victory for Chavismo!” he proclaimed, referring to the movement founded by his predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chavez.
The disputed result threatened to heighten an already sometimes-violent standoff between the government and opposition. Four months of anti-government protests that began in April left at least 120 people dead, mostly young men in their 20s and 30s.
In August, a new assembly was installed to rewrite the constitution following an election boycotted by the opposition.
While many Venezuelans express anger at the government, many too say they are frustrated with opposition leaders they perceive as disorganized.
Government supporters said the count is proof that the movement started by Chavez remains alive and well, despite Maduro’s low approval ratings.
"The cradle of the revolution doesn’t surrender,” said Argenis Chavez, the late president’s brother and declared winner of the race in Barinas state, where Hugo Chavez spent his early years.