High probability of presidential elections in the second round Ecuador | NOW

It seems likely that a second round of elections will be needed to determine who will be Ecuador’s new president. According to Sunday’s polls, it will then be a battle between socialist Andrés Arauz and the former right-wing banker Guillermo Lasso.

Various opinion polls show that Arauz, former minister of former President Rafael Correa, obtained between 34.9 and 36.2% of the votes cast. The lasso represents 21 to 21.7 percent. Indigenous candidate Yaku Pérez would have finished in third place with 16.7-18%. A record number of sixteen candidates took part in the presidential elections.

Arauz has already claimed he is the winner. “We won. A crushing triumph in all regions of our beautiful country. Our victory is two against one against the banker,” tweeted the former minister. He said he would wait to celebrate the victory “until the official results are released.”

That there would be no winner after the first round of the presidential election was already expected. For this, a candidate must obtain more than half of the votes or at least 40% with a lead of 10 percentage points. The second round will take place on April 11.