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| - Leftist economist Andres Arauz leads the field with over 80 percent of results declared in Ecuador's election, but who he will face in the run-off vote is still uncertain as two candidates fight it out for second place. The vote took place amid a backdrop of economic problems exacerbated by a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed 15,000 lives in Ecuador, and Sunday's polls were marred by long lines of people waiting to cast ballots as virus restrictions caused chaos. With 32.3 percent of the vote, Arauz, a protege of former president Rafael Correa, claimed a "resounding victory in all regions of our beautiful country", although he urged supporters to wait for official results before celebrating. The battle for second place between indigenous candidate Yaku Perez and right-wing ex-banker Guillermo Lasso has been full of twists. Initial exit polls suggested Lasso would face Arauz in the run-off, only to be upended when an official projection by the country's National Electoral Council based on partial results suggested it would be Perez. The gap between the two candidates has narrowed again, with Perez on 19.9 percent, and Lasso on 19.3 percent. The country's 13.1 million voters are choosing a successor to unpopular socialist President Lenin Moreno and the 137 members of congress. Strict health precautions appeared to slow voting and may have discouraged some from castng their ballots, as long lines stretched outside polling stations. "I hope that at last we will elect a president who is not corrupt, and that there are changes, Sebastian Amaguaya, 23, told AFP as he waited to vote. The field had been congested, with 16 candidates, including Ximena Pena, the only woman. To win outright, a candidate needs 50 percent plus one vote or 40 percent and a 10-point lead over the nearest rival. Arauz, 36, represents the Union of Hope (UNES) coalition of left-wing parties, while lawyer Perez, 51, is from the left-wing Pachakutik party, and is the first indigenous candidate to get this far in the presidential race. Arauz's mentor Correa -- a two-time president who currently lives in Belgium to evade a conviction for corruption -- remains a strong force in the country. "People have voted not in direct support to Arauz but because he is the Correa candidate," political scientist Karen Garzon Sherdek, from the International University SEK, told AFP. "Thank you dear Ecuador!" Correa tweeted as the results came in. "The Citizen Revolution has won overwhelmingly, despite a dirty campaign and 4 years of brutal persecution and infamy." Arauz has promised to return the country to a socialist path after a four-year, austerity-driven hiatus under Moreno. He has pledged to disburse $1,000 to a million families during his first month in office, as well as a special tax on the rich. Ecuador is mired in debt as the profits of an oil boom during the Correa presidency dried up under Moreno as the price of crude crashed. National debt rose from 26 percent of GDP to 44 percent during Moreno's term. The coronavirus epidemic has piled on the pressure, with some $6.4 billion in losses attributed directly to the health crisis, according to government data. Ecuador's economy is forecast to contract 8.9 percent in 2020, while unemployment reached 8.6 percent last September -- more than doubling in nine months. Moreno, his popularity at an all-time low of seven percent, did not seek reelection. His four-year term will end on May 24. sp-pld/vel/bc/mdl/to/reb/fox
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