Signing off from duty: Kerry calls on Bush to build bridges

10.45am UPDATE

BOSTON - Democratic Senator John Kerry conceded defeat to President George W Bush and said he hoped the healing process could now begin after a bitter presidential election campaign.

In an emotional concession speech in his hometown of Boston, Kerry said he had spoken to Bush and his wife, Laura, and offered his congratulations on the president's victory.

"We had a good conversation, we talked about the danger of division in our country and the need, the desperate need for unity, for finding the common ground, coming together. Today I hope that we can begin the healing," Kerry told supporters in historic Faneuil Hall.

His concession ended any prospect of a lengthy legal challenge and endless ballot counting in Ohio where the election had been too close to call and delayed the final outcome for hours.

In 2000, the presidential election was finally decided after the US Supreme Court called off recounting votes in Florida, which Bush won by 537 votes.

Kerry said it had become clear that even when all the provisional ballots had been counted, there would not be enough outstanding votes for his side to win Ohio and ultimately the White House.

"I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail," he said.

Ohio's 20 electoral votes had been the final hurdle to Bush winning an Electoral College majority of 270 votes needed to capture the presidency.

Kerry said that with US troops in harm's way in Iraq, he hoped the president would work hard for unity.

"America is in need of unity and longing for a larger measure of compassion. I hope President Bush will advance those values in the coming years," he said."

His voice shaking with emotion at times, Kerry urged his supporters not to lose faith in the electoral process.

"The time will come, the election will come, when your work and your ballots will change the world and it's worth fighting for," he said to applause.

Bush was set to give his victory speech less than an hour after Kerry's concession and the president's aides said the Democrat had been gracious in his phone call.

The president, in turn, told Kerry he was an "admirable, worthy" opponent during the phone call, which ended their eight-month struggle for the White House.

- REUTERS