Leftist Lenin Moreno crossed his fingers Monday for outright victory in Ecuador's presidential vote as impatience grew over a delay in publishing full results that could force a runoff.

Sunday's election was a test of the legacy of outgoing President Rafael Correa, Moreno's more hardline ally and an outspoken critic of the United States.

Moreno, 63, hoped to top 40 percent of the vote with a 10-point lead. That would spare him a runoff that polls indicate he may well lose.

But with nearly 89 percent of the votes counted, he was still short with 39.13 percent, against 28.31 percent for his conservative competitor, Guillermo Lasso.

The president of the National Electoral Council, Juan Pablo Pozo, said it could take until Thursday for the full results to be confirmed.

Supporters of Lasso scuffled with police as they gathered outside the electoral council to demand transparency in the vote-count, with some of them alleging fraud.

Pozo urged voters to "wait peacefully for the official results, since there is a narrow margin to determine whether there will be a second round."

Moreno called for his Country Alliance party to "cross our fingers" for a first-round victory.

"I like big challenges, strong challenges, and I am going to get through this one," he said on television.

But ex-banker Lasso vowed: "We will not rest until we achieve a definitive victory for the Ecuadoran people, who want change."

Pozo said some of the ballots were taking time to be counted due to "anomalies" such as missing signatures from polling station officials.

He said he would hold a meeting with the two candidates to explain the delay in confirming the results, "to avoid any suspicions."

Analysts said voters fed up with Correa are likely to rally behind the conservative candidate in the second round.

"Any party could beat the governing one in the second round, because there is major resistance to, and rejection of, the government," said political scientist Paolo Moncagatta of Quito's San Francisco University.

If Moreno wins he will be the first wheelchair-user to become president in Ecuador, and one of few world leaders ever to do so.

His legs were paralyzed when he was shot in a robbery in 1998.

If ex-banker Lasso wins the presidency, another pillar of the Latin American left will swing to the right.

Lasso has also said he will end WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's asylum in Ecuador's London embassy.

Assange is taking refuge there for fear of extradition to the United States for publishing leaked documents that embarrassed Washington.

The busting of a commodities boom has hastened the end of two decades of leftist predominance in Latin America.

After Argentina, Brazil and Peru switched to conservative governments, economist Correa, 53, is now reaching the end of 10 years in power.

He initially oversaw a boom in the country of 16 million people, but the economy shrank 1.7 percent last year.

"The big factor in the vote was the economic crisis," said Alberto Acosta-Burneo, a consultant at the Spurrier Group.

Lasso slammed Correa's allies over alleged links to corruption. Correa blamed Lasso in part for a 1999 financial crisis when he was economy minister.

Voters were deciding whether to continue Correa's tax-and-spend policies or give Lasso a mandate to cut spending and taxes.

Correa used Ecuador's oil wealth to fund social welfare schemes and public works.

But oil prices have plunged over the past three years.

Teacher Sofia Tinajero, 32, said she ended her support for Correa's side in this election and voted for a change.

"I have witnessed authoritarianism and a very great social decline," she said.

But another voter, Nora Molina, 53, said "these past 10 years have shown how the country has advanced. I think we are going to keep that going."</s>QUITO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Ecuadorean leftist government candidate Lenin Moreno was set for victory in a presidential election but results still coming in on Monday meant he may face a runoff with former banker Guillermo Lasso.

In a nail-biter vote with eight candidates, Moreno was close to the threshold needed to avoid a second round on April 2 and continue a decade-long period of leftist rule, just as South America is moving to the right.

While Ecuadoreans are angry over an economic downturn and corruption scandals, the opposition split its votes among candidates and the ruling Country Alliance remains popular with many poor voters, thanks to social welfare programs.

As results trickled in from Ecuador's Andes, jungle, and Pacific coast, Moreno, a disabled former vice president, was just short of the 40 percent of votes and a 10-percentage-point difference over his nearest rival to win outright.

He had 39.09 percent of valid votes versus 28.28 percent for Guillermo Lasso, with 87 percent of votes counted, the official preliminary election count showed.

Government supporters said votes from pro-government provinces and Ecuadoreans abroad would propel Moreno, 63, past the crucial 40 percent mark.

But Lasso, 61, was already celebrating reaching the second round in his humid hometown of Guayaquil by the Pacific Coast under a stream of confetti.

Another opposition candidate, Cynthia Viteri, who was running third in Sunday's count, said she would back Lasso in an April runoff. If other opposition parties follow suit as expected, that could sweep him to victory.

"With all the other (opposition) candidates, we will construct that unity Ecuadoreans so wish for," Lasso said, anticipating that support in April.

With results coming in slower than expected, a couple of hundred opposition supporters congregated in front of the electoral council headquarters in Quito to demand a speedier and more transparent count.

"We're not Cuba or Venezuela, out with Correa!" they chanted.

Outgoing President Rafael Correa was one of the key figures in Latin America's leftist axis that includes Caracas and Havana. He brought stability to the politically turbulent OPEC country but has aggravated many with his confrontational style.

The next president faces strong pressure to create jobs and crack down on graft, amid corruption scandals at state-run oil company Petroecuador and Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht .

Lasso has campaigned on a platform to revive the economy, which is dependent on exports of oil, flowers and shrimp, by slashing taxes, fostering foreign investment and creating a million jobs in four years.

He has also vowed to remove Wikileaks founder Julian Assange from the Ecuadorean embassy in London and denounce Venezuela's Socialist government.

"We all know the country wants change," said student Xavier Luzarraga, 26. "Lasso will be the next president, that's it, out with Correa."

But Lasso has also alienated some voters who deem him a stuffy elitist linked to the 1999 financial crisis when hundreds of thousands lost their savings.

Moreno, who lost the use of his legs two decades ago after being shot during a robbery, has a more conciliatory style than the pugnacious Correa and has promised benefits for the disabled, single mothers and the elderly.

"In the last few years there have been radical changes in the country, like the end of extreme poverty," said Moreno supporter Ramiro Flores, a 60-year-old civil engineer in the mountainous capital Quito, outside ruling party headquarters.

Critics say Moreno is woefully ill-equipped to overhaul an ailing economy hit by low oil prices, steep debts, and high taxes on the middle class.

His running mate, Jorge Glas, who as Strategic Sectors minister oversaw the oil and infrastructure industries, has also been accused by a fugitive oil minister of corruption in the Petroecuador case. Glas has denied wrongdoing.

The new president takes office on May 24 for a four-year term.</s>Moreno is winning the first round of the election, though he is unlikely to avoid a runoff against his nearest rival.

Partial results are giving a clear lead to the hand-picked candidate of socialist President Rafael Correa in Ecuador's presidential election, seen as a test for the left in Latin America after recent conservative gains in the region, especially in Brazil and Argentina.

With more than 81.4 percent of polling stations counted, ruling party candidate Lenin Moreno had almost 39 percent of the votes, compared to just under 29 percent for former banker Guillermo Lasso, the closest contender among seven opposition candidates.

To avoid a runoff, Moreno needed to win a majority of the total vote, or get 40 percent while holding a 10-point lead over his nearest rival.

Given the tight race, electoral authorities decided against announcing a quick count of results and instead appealed for patience as official results came in. But a count of statistically representative tally sheets nationwide by a respected private group said would Moreno finish on top with 38.8 percent to 28 percent for Lasso, with a 1-point margin of error.

But the opposition candidate showed no sign of throwing in the towel, as hundreds of Lasso supporters gathered outside the National Electoral Council, saying they would remain there until a runoff was confirmed.

"Lasso has been out saying that he is very confident about a second round win, and he quite possibly has a point because the supporters of the six candidates that seem to be eliminated from the race are more likely to support the right-wing candidate," Schweimler said.

"This indicates the formation of a right-leaning government along the lines of what we have already been seeing in elsewhere in Latin America."

The outcome was indeed being watched closely in Latin America, where conservative leaders in Argentina, Brazil and Peru have assumed power in the past 18 months after the end of a commodities boom that boosted leftists like Correa.

Outside the region, much of the interest in the election focused on what the outcome might mean for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been living at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012.

Moreno has indicated he would allow Assange to remain while Lasso vowed to evict the Australian activist within 30 days of taking office.

The contest put Correa's legacy on the line, as well. The self-declared 21st-century socialist, who took office in 2007, ushered in a period of stability after a severe economic crisis that saw three presidents toppled in protests and the adoption of the US dollar to control rampant inflation.

While Correa has been praised for reducing inequality and overhauling Ecuador's infrastructure, opinion polls said a majority of Ecuadoreans favour change.

Formerly flush government budgets have been slashed and thousands of people at state-run companies laid off, as oil revenues in the OPEC nation declined.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Ecuador's economy to shrink 2.7 percent this year, and analysts predict the new president will have to seek a bailout from the Washington-based IMF to address financial problems made worse by last year's earthquake.

Moreno urged voters to uphold Correa's "Citizens' Revolution", while his challengers vowed to eliminate taxes they contend hamper growth and to strengthen democratic institutions they say were weakened by Correa's leadership.</s>Leftist Lenin Moreno crossed his fingers Monday for outright victory in Ecuador's presidential vote as impatience grew over a delay in publishing full results that could force a runoff.

Sunday's election was a test of the legacy of outgoing President Rafael Correa, Moreno's more hardline ally and an outspoken critic of the United States.

Moreno, 63, hoped to top 40 percent of the vote with a 10-point lead. That would spare him a runoff that polls indicate he may well lose.

But with nearly 89 percent of the votes counted, he was still short with 39.13 percent, against 28.31 percent for his conservative competitor, Guillermo Lasso.

The president of the National Electoral Council, Juan Pablo Pozo, said it could take until Thursday for the full results to be confirmed.

Supporters of Lasso scuffled with police as they gathered outside the electoral council to demand transparency in the vote-count, with some of them alleging fraud.

Pozo urged voters to "wait peacefully for the official results, since there is a narrow margin to determine whether there will be a second round."

Moreno called for his Country Alliance party to "cross our fingers" for a first-round victory.

"I like big challenges, strong challenges, and I am going to get through this one," he said on television.

But ex-banker Lasso vowed: "We will not rest until we achieve a definitive victory for the Ecuadoran people, who want change."

Pozo said some of the ballots were taking time to be counted due to "anomalies" such as missing signatures from polling station officials.

He said he would hold a meeting with the two candidates to explain the delay in confirming the results, "to avoid any suspicions."

Analysts said voters fed up with Correa are likely to rally behind the conservative candidate in the second round.

"Any party could beat the governing one in the second round, because there is major resistance to, and rejection of, the government," said political scientist Paolo Moncagatta of Quito's San Francisco University.

If Moreno wins he will be the first wheelchair-user to become president in Ecuador, and one of few world leaders ever to do so.

His legs were paralyzed when he was shot in a robbery in 1998.

If ex-banker Lasso wins the presidency, another pillar of the Latin American left will swing to the right.

Lasso has also said he will end WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's asylum in Ecuador's London embassy.

Assange is taking refuge there for fear of extradition to the United States for publishing leaked documents that embarrassed Washington.

The busting of a commodities boom has hastened the end of two decades of leftist predominance in Latin America.

After Argentina, Brazil and Peru switched to conservative governments, economist Correa, 53, is now reaching the end of 10 years in power.

He initially oversaw a boom in the country of 16 million people, but the economy shrank 1.7 percent last year.

"The big factor in the vote was the economic crisis," said Alberto Acosta-Burneo, a consultant at the Spurrier Group.

Lasso slammed Correa's allies over alleged links to corruption. Correa blamed Lasso in part for a 1999 financial crisis when he was economy minister.

Voters were deciding whether to continue Correa's tax-and-spend policies or give Lasso a mandate to cut spending and taxes.

Correa used Ecuador's oil wealth to fund social welfare schemes and public works.

But oil prices have plunged over the past three years.

Teacher Sofia Tinajero, 32, said she ended her support for Correa's side in this election and voted for a change.

"I have witnessed authoritarianism and a very great social decline," she said.

But another voter, Nora Molina, 53, said "these past 10 years have shown how the country has advanced. I think we are going to keep that going."</s>Former Vice President Lenin Moreno, a leftist advocate for the disabled who was paralyzed in a 1998 robbery attempt, topped the field in Ecuador’s presidential election Sunday, according to exit polls, but it was unclear whether his margin was large enough to avoid a runoff on April 2.

Moreno, 63, is a close ally of outgoing President Rafael Correa, under whom he served as vice president from 2007 to 2013.

Three exit polls showed him winning at least 36% of votes cast, ahead of apparent second-place finisher Guillermo Lasso, a pro-business bank executive who was winning at least 26%. The two led a crowded field of eight candidates.

To avoid a runoff, Moreno, who has spent the last three years as a special United Nations advocate for the disabled, needed either 50% plus one of all votes cast, or 40% if he finished at least 10 percentage points ahead of the next highest vote-getter.

Right-of-center congresswoman Cynthia Viteri, 51, was running in third place with about 15%, according to the exit polls.

Official results will be available later Sunday night.

As vice president, Moreno oversaw a program that brought financial and medical aid to 300,000 disabled Ecuadoreans.

Correa was elected three times and has served as president for more than 10 years, earning widespread support among the poor and intellectuals for policies aiding the impoverished. But a stagnant economy, widespread corruption, running battles with the press and an autocratic governing style recently have distanced many Ecuadoreans from their leader. A majority now believe he is untrustworthy.

Although Moreno has promised to continue Correa’s policies, he has said that, if elected, he will be a more conciliatory leader and be less antagonistic to the press.

“This is a clear and unquestionable victory for the Citizen Revolution,” Moreno said during a brief news conference after polls closed, a reference to Correa’s socialist agenda. He added that Correa has governed with “dignity and transparency.” He invited the opposition to join with him to achieve “great national objectives.”

No violent incidents were reported in this Andean country where balloting by 12.8 million eligible voters is obligatory.

Interviewed as he left a Quito polling station, retired factory worker Guillermo Venegas, 63, said he voted for Moreno because he wanted Correa’s programs to continue. “Today I voted for the continued restructuring of Ecuador and I hope that my support will be reflected in an improved social reality,” he said.

Pablo Rosero, a 40-year-old financial analyst, said he supported Lasso because he wanted change from Correa’s socialist project. “Ten years is enough. The best option is Lasso because he would be the strongest opponent to the government.”

Voters also elected all 137 National Assembly members on Sunday.

Special correspondents Jaramillo Viteri and Kraul reported from Quito, Ecuador, and Bogota, Colombia, respectively.

A tale of two cities: What happened when factory jobs moved from Warren, Ohio, to Juarez, Mexico

Latin America bribery scandal widens to engulf two of the continent’s highest profile figures</s>Leftist Lenin Moreno crossed his fingers Monday for outright victory in Ecuador's presidential vote as impatience grew over a delay in publishing full results that could force a runoff.

Sunday's election was a test of the legacy of outgoing President Rafael Correa, Moreno's more hardline ally and an outspoken critic of the United States.

Moreno, 63, hoped to top 40 percent of the vote with a 10-point lead. That would spare him a runoff that polls indicate he may well lose.

But with nearly 89 percent of the votes counted, he was still short with 39.13 percent, against 28.31 percent for his conservative competitor, Guillermo Lasso.

The president of the National Electoral Council, Juan Pablo Pozo, said it could take until Thursday for the full results to be confirmed.

Supporters of Lasso scuffled with police as they gathered outside the electoral council to demand transparency in the vote-count, with some of them alleging fraud.

Pozo urged voters to "wait peacefully for the official results, since there is a narrow margin to determine whether there will be a second round."

Moreno called for his Country Alliance party to "cross our fingers" for a first-round victory.

"I like big challenges, strong challenges, and I am going to get through this one," he said on television.

But ex-banker Lasso vowed: "We will not rest until we achieve a definitive victory for the Ecuadoran people, who want change."

Pozo said some of the ballots were taking time to be counted due to "anomalies" such as missing signatures from polling station officials.

He said he would hold a meeting with the two candidates to explain the delay in confirming the results, "to avoid any suspicions."

Analysts said voters fed up with Correa are likely to rally behind the conservative candidate in the second round.

"Any party could beat the governing one in the second round, because there is major resistance to, and rejection of, the government," said political scientist Paolo Moncagatta of Quito's San Francisco University.

If Moreno wins he will be the first wheelchair-user to become president in Ecuador, and one of few world leaders ever to do so.

His legs were paralyzed when he was shot in a robbery in 1998.

If ex-banker Lasso wins the presidency, another pillar of the Latin American left will swing to the right.

Lasso has also said he will end WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's asylum in Ecuador's London embassy.

Assange is taking refuge there for fear of extradition to the United States for publishing leaked documents that embarrassed Washington.

The busting of a commodities boom has hastened the end of two decades of leftist predominance in Latin America.

After Argentina, Brazil and Peru switched to conservative governments, economist Correa, 53, is now reaching the end of 10 years in power.

He initially oversaw a boom in the country of 16 million people, but the economy shrank 1.7 percent last year.

"The big factor in the vote was the economic crisis," said Alberto Acosta-Burneo, a consultant at the Spurrier Group.

Lasso slammed Correa's allies over alleged links to corruption. Correa blamed Lasso in part for a 1999 financial crisis when he was economy minister.

Voters were deciding whether to continue Correa's tax-and-spend policies or give Lasso a mandate to cut spending and taxes.

Correa used Ecuador's oil wealth to fund social welfare schemes and public works.

But oil prices have plunged over the past three years.

Teacher Sofia Tinajero, 32, said she ended her support for Correa's side in this election and voted for a change.

"I have witnessed authoritarianism and a very great social decline," she said.

But another voter, Nora Molina, 53, said "these past 10 years have shown how the country has advanced. I think we are going to keep that going."</s>Leftist Lenin Moreno crossed his fingers Monday for outright victory in Ecuador's presidential vote as impatience grew over a delay in publishing full results that could force a runoff.

Sunday's election was a test of the legacy of outgoing President Rafael Correa, Moreno's more hardline ally and an outspoken critic of the United States.

Moreno, 63, hoped to top 40 percent of the vote with a 10-point lead. That would spare him a runoff that polls indicate he may well lose.

But with nearly 89 percent of the votes counted, he was still short with 39.13 percent, against 28.31 percent for his conservative competitor, Guillermo Lasso.

The president of the National Electoral Council, Juan Pablo Pozo, said it could take until Thursday for the full results to be confirmed.

Supporters of Lasso scuffled with police as they gathered outside the electoral council to demand transparency in the vote-count, with some of them alleging fraud.

Pozo urged voters to "wait peacefully for the official results, since there is a narrow margin to determine whether there will be a second round."

Moreno called for his Country Alliance party to "cross our fingers" for a first-round victory.

"I like big challenges, strong challenges, and I am going to get through this one," he said on television.

But ex-banker Lasso vowed: "We will not rest until we achieve a definitive victory for the Ecuadoran people, who want change."

Pozo said some of the ballots were taking time to be counted due to "anomalies" such as missing signatures from polling station officials.

He said he would hold a meeting with the two candidates to explain the delay in confirming the results, "to avoid any suspicions."

Analysts said voters fed up with Correa are likely to rally behind the conservative candidate in the second round.

"Any party could beat the governing one in the second round, because there is major resistance to, and rejection of, the government," said political scientist Paolo Moncagatta of Quito's San Francisco University.

If Moreno wins he will be the first wheelchair-user to become president in Ecuador, and one of few world leaders ever to do so.

His legs were paralyzed when he was shot in a robbery in 1998.

If ex-banker Lasso wins the presidency, another pillar of the Latin American left will swing to the right.

Lasso has also said he will end WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's asylum in Ecuador's London embassy.

Assange is taking refuge there for fear of extradition to the United States for publishing leaked documents that embarrassed Washington.

The busting of a commodities boom has hastened the end of two decades of leftist predominance in Latin America.

After Argentina, Brazil and Peru switched to conservative governments, economist Correa, 53, is now reaching the end of 10 years in power.

He initially oversaw a boom in the country of 16 million people, but the economy shrank 1.7 percent last year.

"The big factor in the vote was the economic crisis," said Alberto Acosta-Burneo, a consultant at the Spurrier Group.

Lasso slammed Correa's allies over alleged links to corruption. Correa blamed Lasso in part for a 1999 financial crisis when he was economy minister.

Voters were deciding whether to continue Correa's tax-and-spend policies or give Lasso a mandate to cut spending and taxes.

Correa used Ecuador's oil wealth to fund social welfare schemes and public works.

But oil prices have plunged over the past three years.

Teacher Sofia Tinajero, 32, said she ended her support for Correa's side in this election and voted for a change.

"I have witnessed authoritarianism and a very great social decline," she said.

But another voter, Nora Molina, 53, said "these past 10 years have shown how the country has advanced. I think we are going to keep that going."</s>Leftist Lenin Moreno crossed his fingers Monday for outright victory in Ecuador's presidential vote as impatience grew over a delay in publishing full results that could force a runoff.

Sunday's election was a test of the legacy of outgoing President Rafael Correa, Moreno's more hardline ally and an outspoken critic of the United States.

Moreno, 63, hoped to top 40 percent of the vote with a 10-point lead. That would spare him a runoff that polls indicate he may well lose.

But with nearly 89 percent of the votes counted, he was still short with 39.13 percent, against 28.31 percent for his conservative competitor, Guillermo Lasso.

The president of the National Electoral Council, Juan Pablo Pozo, said it could take until Thursday for the full results to be confirmed.

Supporters of Lasso scuffled with police as they gathered outside the electoral council to demand transparency in the vote-count, with some of them alleging fraud.

Pozo urged voters to "wait peacefully for the official results, since there is a narrow margin to determine whether there will be a second round."

Moreno called for his Country Alliance party to "cross our fingers" for a first-round victory.

"I like big challenges, strong challenges, and I am going to get through this one," he said on television.

But ex-banker Lasso vowed: "We will not rest until we achieve a definitive victory for the Ecuadoran people, who want change."

Pozo said some of the ballots were taking time to be counted due to "anomalies" such as missing signatures from polling station officials.

He said he would hold a meeting with the two candidates to explain the delay in confirming the results, "to avoid any suspicions."

Analysts said voters fed up with Correa are likely to rally behind the conservative candidate in the second round.

"Any party could beat the governing one in the second round, because there is major resistance to, and rejection of, the government," said political scientist Paolo Moncagatta of Quito's San Francisco University.

If Moreno wins he will be the first wheelchair-user to become president in Ecuador, and one of few world leaders ever to do so.

His legs were paralyzed when he was shot in a robbery in 1998.

If ex-banker Lasso wins the presidency, another pillar of the Latin American left will swing to the right.

Lasso has also said he will end WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's asylum in Ecuador's London embassy.

Assange is taking refuge there for fear of extradition to the United States for publishing leaked documents that embarrassed Washington.

The busting of a commodities boom has hastened the end of two decades of leftist predominance in Latin America.

After Argentina, Brazil and Peru switched to conservative governments, economist Correa, 53, is now reaching the end of 10 years in power.

He initially oversaw a boom in the country of 16 million people, but the economy shrank 1.7 percent last year.

"The big factor in the vote was the economic crisis," said Alberto Acosta-Burneo, a consultant at the Spurrier Group.

Lasso slammed Correa's allies over alleged links to corruption. Correa blamed Lasso in part for a 1999 financial crisis when he was economy minister.

Voters were deciding whether to continue Correa's tax-and-spend policies or give Lasso a mandate to cut spending and taxes.

Correa used Ecuador's oil wealth to fund social welfare schemes and public works.

But oil prices have plunged over the past three years.

Teacher Sofia Tinajero, 32, said she ended her support for Correa's side in this election and voted for a change.

"I have witnessed authoritarianism and a very great social decline," she said.

But another voter, Nora Molina, 53, said "these past 10 years have shown how the country has advanced. I think we are going to keep that going."</s>Exit polls from Sunday's presidential election in Ecuador put the ruling party's Lenin Moreno ahead of the closest contender among seven opposition candidates, although it was unclear whether he had enough votes to avoid an April runoff.

 

 With more than 80 percent of polling stations reporting early Monday, Moreno had almost 39 percent of the votes, compared to just under 29 percent for conservative Guillermo Lasso, a former banker.

 

 To avoid a runoff, Moreno needs 40 percent of valid votes and a 10-point lead over Lasso.

An exit poll by Cedatos pollster estimated Moreno received some 39.4 percent of valid votes versus about 30.5 percent for Lasso. Its margin of error was plus or minus 2 percentage points.

 

 A separate OPECUADOR poll published by state media showed Moreno with 42.9 percent of valid votes, versus 27.7 percent for Lasso.

 

 Even before the first vote results, Moreno was quick to declare himself the winner based on inconclusive exit polls and called on Lasso to recognize defeat. He softened his tone, however, while addressing supporters late in the night.

An ally of the outgoing leftist President Rafael Correa, Moreno had been leading in opinion polls and promised to continue the current president's programs "on tax-and-spend social policies."

Lasso has vowed to cut spending and taxes while creating one million jobs. Lasso had been second in pre-election polls.

The oil-rich country's economy shrank by 1.7 percent in 2016 due to falling oil prices.

The result of the election could also change the future of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who has been living in Ecuador's embassy in London for five years, fighting extradition to Sweden on rape charges. Assange says the charges are a ruse to invented by the United States as part of an effort to try him on espionage charges.

One campaign promise from the two leading conservative candidates was to evict Assange from Ecuador's London embassy where he has taken refuge out of fear of extradition to the United States.</s>* Far right's Le Pen to get 26.0 percent of votes (unchanged) in first round of French presidential election, Macron 19.0 percent (unchanged) and Fillon (+0.5) at 19.0 percent - Ifop Fiducial poll

* Macron to beat Le Pen in French presidential runoff with 61.0 percent of the votes versus 39.0 percent - Ifop Fiducial poll

* Fillon would beat Le Pen in French presidential runoff with 57.0 percent of the votes versus 43.0 percent if Fillon made it to second round - Ifop Fiducial poll Source text: www.ifop.com (Gdynia Newsroom)
A runoff presidential election, between former vice-president Lenín Moreno and former bank president Guillermo Lasso, is scheduled for Sunday, April 2 since no candidate gained at least 40 percent of the vote in Sunday's poll. With 95.3 percent of votes counted, Moreno received 39.21 percent of valid votes and Lasso had 28.34 percent.