Ecuador: Leftist Luisa Gonzalez leads presidential election

Leftist lawyer Luisa Gonzalez led the first round of Ecuador's presidential election on Sunday, officials said with more than 85% of ballots counted.

The contest, taking place against a background of political violence, sees the ally of a convicted former president take on the principal heir of a banana empire.

What's the latest from the election?

Gonzalez, an ally of exiled former President Rafael Correa, had received 33% of the vote by late on Sunday. Coming in second was right-wing former presidential candidate and banana tycoon's son Daniel Noboa, with 24% of the vote.

"We are celebrating because we are making history, even though so many of us have been ignored, today we begin moving toward a different history," Gonzalez told supporters her at a post-election event in Quito.

"The youth candidate, of the people who are seeking hope, who want to change Ecuador, has triumphed," the 35-year-old told journalists.

The two candidates will now go head-to-head at second round election on October 15.

The election was called after conservative President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly in May to escape an impeachment trial just two years after being elected.

The campaign was dominated by pledges to tackle a spike in crime and boost the struggling economy.

Ecuador's 13 million eligible voters will also elect 137 members of the National Assembly and have their say in two environmental referendums.

Voting in Ecuador is mandatory for citizens between the ages of 18 and 64.

Authorities report peaceful vote

The president of Ecuador's National Electoral Council, Diana Atamaint, said there were no reports of violence at voting centers and said the election was "peaceful and safe" after polls closed.

Security had been a major concern during the contest, particularly following the murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio outside a campaign rally on August 9.

Authorities deployed more than 100,000 police and soldiers to protect the vote from more violence.

Soldiers and police searched voters at entrance points of polling stations, while some of the presidential candidates wore bulletproof vests and helmets to cast their ballots.

Ecuador's National Electoral Council said a website set up for citizens living abroad to cast their votes had been hit by multiple cyberattacks originating from countries including China, India and Bangladesh.

However, it said this did not affect the overall integrity of the vote.

Who are the candidates running for president?

Eight candidates are in the race to become the next president, with Gonzalez the favorite to win.

She has promised to bolster the economy and expand social programs.

Law and order candidate and millionaire Jan Topic pledged to wipe out criminal gangs and build more prisons, earning him the nickname "Ecuadorian Rambo."

Other prominent candidates included German-born Otto Sonnenholzner, a right-wing former vice president, and Yaku Perez, an Indigenous man who promised to defend the environment and water from mining and oil extraction.

The party of slain candidate Villavicencio fielded investigative journalist Christian Zurita as his replacement in the race.

Two environmental referendums

Ecuadorians also voted in two key referendums alongside Sunday's election.

One vote asked whether to stop oil extraction in the Amazon jungle.

The other asked whether the exploitation of minerals such as gold, silver and copper in forests of the Andean Choco should be banned.

What happens next?

To win outright, a candidate needs 50% of the votes, or at least 40% with a 10-point lead over the closest opponent.

Since no candidate won outright, a runoff vote will take place between Gonzalez and Noboa on October 15.

The winning presidential candidate will govern for the remainder of Lasso's unfinished term, a period of less than two years.

zc, nm/jcg (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)