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Ecuador president claims poll win Ecuador's Correa set for poll win
(1 day later)
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa has claimed victory in the country's election after two exit polls indicated he had more than 50% of the vote. Ecuador's President Rafael Correa is on course for outright victory with more than two-thirds of the votes counted after Sunday's presidential election.
The polls suggest the leftist Mr Correa has a decisive lead over his main rivals, ex-President Lucio Gutierrez and banana mogul Alvaro Noboa. He has won more than 50% of the vote so far and has a big lead over his closest rival, ex-President Lucio Gutierrez.
The results, if confirmed, mean Mr Correa will not need to face a run-off to take his second term in office. "We've made history," said Mr Correa, who called the election under a new constitution designed to reform Ecuador's political institutions.
His opponents have accused him of strong-arm tactics to retain power. His opponents have accused him of using strong-arm tactics to retain power.
Mr Correa had been widely expected to win the vote, which he had called under a new constitution designed to reform Ecuador's political institutions. "We've made history in a nation that between 1996 and 2006 never saw a democratic government complete its term," said Mr Correa, who had been widely expected to win the vote.
Mr Correa said the country had "made history". With 70% of ballots counted, Mr Correa has 51.7%, Mr Gutierrez 27.8% and banana mogul Alvaro Noboa 11.6%, the National Electoral Council said on its website.
"This revolution is on the march, and nobody and nothing can stop us," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying after the exit polls were released.
The exit polls indicate Mr Correa won at least 54% of the vote. Mr Gutierrez took 28% while Mr Noboa got 10.2%, the Cedatos-Gallup polling group said.
Mr Gutierrez said he would wait until the official results were released before accepting Mr Correa's victory.Mr Gutierrez said he would wait until the official results were released before accepting Mr Correa's victory.
If Mr Correa's victory is officially confirmed, Ecuador will avoid a second-round run-off vote for the first time in 30 years. Mr Correa's expected win means there will be no second round run-off vote in Ecuador for the first time in 30 years.
In addition to selecting the president, voters elected members of the National Assembly and regional and municipal offices.In addition to selecting the president, voters elected members of the National Assembly and regional and municipal offices.
'Tyrant' Economic crunch
Mr Correa first came to office in January 2007.Mr Correa first came to office in January 2007.
During his first term in office, he won a following through massively increasing social spending and talking tough to the foreign investors and multinationals many Ecuadoreans feel are exploiting their country. Since then, he has won a following through massively increasing social spending and talking tough to the foreign investors and multinationals many Ecuadoreans feel are exploiting their country.
Ecuador's new constitution gives prison inmates the voteEcuador's new constitution gives prison inmates the vote
He has also provided firm leadership in a country that in the past has been characterised by political instability, says the BBC's Latin America analyst, James Painter. But these policies were formed as commodity prices hit record highs.
"Ecuadoreans will decide between a past of looting and injustice or a much more beautiful future of change," he told thousands of supporters at his closing campaign rally, according to Reuters news agency. If the price of oil, Ecuador's main export, remains low, Mr Correa will have much less money to spend on social programmes.
But his opponents accuse him of riding roughshod over the country's democratic institutions by backing the adoption of a new constitution in a popular vote last September, says our analyst. The country's economy is also very reliant on the remittances sent home by the hundreds of thousands of Ecuadoreans living in Spain and the United States.
Foreign investors have also been put off by recent moves not to pay some of the country's debt, and by doubts about whether Ecuador will stop using the US dollar as its national currency.
Analysts say Mr Correa could fall quickly from grace if he is forced to tighten the purse strings after the election.
His opponents also accuse him of riding roughshod over the country's democratic institutions by backing the adoption of a new constitution in a popular vote last September.
Among other things, the constitution increased state controls on private industry and land and allowed Mr Correa to run for re-election.Among other things, the constitution increased state controls on private industry and land and allowed Mr Correa to run for re-election.
It also gave 16-year-olds, prison inmates, police and soldiers the vote.It also gave 16-year-olds, prison inmates, police and soldiers the vote.
"You are bowing your head to a tyrant, and I am not going to allow that, I want to return dignity and pride to Ecuador," said Mr Noboa at his closing rally, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Mr Gutierrez accused Mr Correa of repelling foreign investors.
Tough outlook
If his victory is confirmed, he will face a very difficult economic context, says our correspondent.
Ecuador is a member of Opec, and oil accounts for more than 60% of its exports.
If oil prices remain low, Mr Correa would have much less money to spend on social programmes.
If so, Mr Correa's decision to default on billions of dollars of debt he termed "illegal" last year could make it more difficult for him to borrow money to cover the gap, our correspondent says.