Lenin Moreno, the candidate of the ruling Alianza País Party in Ecuador appears to have secured a win in the second round of presidential elections, barely beating his rival, the conservative Guillermo Lasso who thus far has refused to concede.
With 99 percent of the votes counted, Moreno is in the lead with 51.15 percent compared to 48.85 percent gained by his opponent Lasso, the country’s election commission reported.
READ MORE: ‘Fate of all Latin America being decided at Ecuador election’
“The revolution has triumphed again in Ecuador,” outgoing President Rafael Correa said on Twitter. “The right has lost, despite its millions and its media.”
@MashiRafael 💛💙💗 con amor sigue la Revolución Ciudadana, ¡viva Ecuador, viva la Patria Grande!
— Carlos Morles (@cmorlesVEN) April 3, 2017
“They’ve toyed with popular will,” Lasso said on Sunday night, demanding a recount as earlier exit polls were split and projected different winners, prompting both candidates to claim victory.
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The 64-year old Moreno, who has been in a wheelchair since 1998, ran on a campaign which promised the South American country a boost in social benefits. The nominee for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize served as vice president of the country from 2007 to 2013, under President Rafael Correa.
It was Correa, serving his third presidential term, who had nominated Morena to run for the Alianza País socialist political movement in Ecuador.
His opponent Lasso, a 61-year-old former head of Banco de Guayaquil who has campaigned on creating one million jobs in four years, argues that Moreno’s generous social promises risk plunging Ecuador’s economy further into debt.
The conservative has also promised to evict WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from the nation’s London embassy.
While Moreno has declared victory in a close runoff, Lasso has called for a vote recount, claiming that he is the real winner of the election.
Moreno urged for unity as he addressed his cheering supporters in Quito: “From now on, let’s work for the country! All of us!”
