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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Ecuador votes for new president | Ecuador votes for new president |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Voting has ended in the presidential election in Ecuador which is to have its eighth leader in 10 years of political turbulence. | |
| The outgoing President, Alfredo Palacio, described the vote as a festival of democracy. | |
| The 13 candidates include Rafael Correa, a leftist ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and Ecuador's richest man, Alvaro Noboa. | |
| Analysts say the vote is expected to go to a run-off next month. | |
| Mr Correa was welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd as he cast his ballot at a college in Quito. | Mr Correa was welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd as he cast his ballot at a college in Quito. |
| He complained of irregularities in the voting, but the head of the Organisation of American States' electoral observers said the campaigning and organisation of the elections had generally been without incident. | He complained of irregularities in the voting, but the head of the Organisation of American States' electoral observers said the campaigning and organisation of the elections had generally been without incident. |
| Close race | Close race |
| Outsiders are closely observing a ballot which could tip the balance of power in Latin America in favour of the leftist, anti-American politics of Mr Chavez and Bolivia's Evo Morales. | Outsiders are closely observing a ballot which could tip the balance of power in Latin America in favour of the leftist, anti-American politics of Mr Chavez and Bolivia's Evo Morales. |
| ECUADOR VOTES Polling day 15 OctPossible run-off 26 NovVoting is obligatory9.2 million registered voters13 candidates | ECUADOR VOTES Polling day 15 OctPossible run-off 26 NovVoting is obligatory9.2 million registered voters13 candidates |
| Mr Correa has promised to ban free trade pacts with the US, rewrite the constitution to strengthen presidential powers and achieve a "citizen's revolution". | |
| "We have to overcome the fallacies of neo-liberalism and search for what in Latin America has been called 21st century socialism," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying. | "We have to overcome the fallacies of neo-liberalism and search for what in Latin America has been called 21st century socialism," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying. |
| Mr Correa's main rival Mr Noboa, 55, is a pro-US billionaire populist and the country's richest man. | Mr Correa's main rival Mr Noboa, 55, is a pro-US billionaire populist and the country's richest man. |
| He has promised to build houses and create jobs to carry Ecuador's poor into the middle class and has condemned Mr Correa as a communist during campaign rallies. | He has promised to build houses and create jobs to carry Ecuador's poor into the middle class and has condemned Mr Correa as a communist during campaign rallies. |
| He is making his third attempt on the presidency and has promised to bolster free markets and sign a free trade deal with the US. | He is making his third attempt on the presidency and has promised to bolster free markets and sign a free trade deal with the US. |
| The other two candidates who were thought to have a chance of making it to a run-off vote were former Vice-President Leon Roldos, from the centre-left, and ex-TV presenter Cynthia Viteri, who is said to enjoy support among the business community. | |
| Driven from power | Driven from power |
| Voting is obligatory, which is probably just as well says the BBC's Daniel Schweimler in Quito as many voters say they are tired of their politicians. | Voting is obligatory, which is probably just as well says the BBC's Daniel Schweimler in Quito as many voters say they are tired of their politicians. |
| Thousands threatened to spoil their ballot papers in protest at years of corruption and mismanagement. | Thousands threatened to spoil their ballot papers in protest at years of corruption and mismanagement. |
| Ecuador enjoys huge oil and banana wealth but half the population lives around the poverty line and unemployment is high. | Ecuador enjoys huge oil and banana wealth but half the population lives around the poverty line and unemployment is high. |
| Ecuadoreans have driven their last three elected presidents from power and only three since 1979 have succeeded in serving full terms. | Ecuadoreans have driven their last three elected presidents from power and only three since 1979 have succeeded in serving full terms. |
| There is not much evidence that whoever wins this election will fare much better, our correspondent says. | There is not much evidence that whoever wins this election will fare much better, our correspondent says. |