Major contenders prepare for run-off in Ecuador presidential election

Ecuador’s electoral council says Andrés Arauz and indigenous leader Yaku Pérez are through to the second round of the country’s presidential election.

The national electoral council disclosed that Mr Arauz had a clear lead with 31.5% of the vote with Mr Pérez securing 20.04%.

Earlier, Mr Arauz told supporters he had won big but he failed to reach the 50% needed to win outright.

There were long queues to vote in a country ravaged by the COVID pandemic.

Ahead of the election, one survey found 50% of Ecuadoreans were undecided about who they would vote for and the second round of voting will take place on April 11th.

Andrés Arauz, the 36-year-old technocrat and a minister under former President Rafael Correa, has been the frontrunner in the race.

The eventual winner will replace the outgoing president, the embattled centrist Lenín Moreno.