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Ecuador votes to decide president Ecuador's Correa claims victory
(about 9 hours later)
Voting is under way in Ecuador in run-off elections for the presidency, with the two candidates neck-and-neck. Ecuador's presidential candidate Rafael Correa's political movement has claimed victory in Sunday's run-off election.
Opinion polls suggest left-wing Rafael Correa and conservative Alvaro Noboa are attracting almost equal support. Three exit polls indicated the leftist economist had gained around 57% of the vote while conservative Alvaro Noboa polled about 43%.
International observers have urged both candidates to be restrained when early results come in. Ecuador has seen much political turmoil in recent years. Mr Noboa has said he won the election and if necessary will ask for a recount, Reuters news agency said.
The Organisation of American States wants all results to be officially counted before a victor is proclaimed. International observers had urged both candidates to be cautious in claiming victory before results were official.
Ecuador has seen much political turmoil in recent years with seven presidents in the last decade.
An economic aide to Mr Correa said he would not pay some of Ecuador's "illegitimate" foreign debt and would not sign a free trade agreement with the United States, Reuters news agency said.
While campaigning, Mr Correa said he wanted to renegotiate contracts with foreign oil companies and threatened to reduce payments on Ecuador's foreign debt.
Mr Correa is close to Venezuela's anti-American President Hugo Chavez and has called US President George W Bush a "dimwit".
Both candidates have promised to create jobs and fight poverty and corruption.Both candidates have promised to create jobs and fight poverty and corruption.
Mr Correa, a former economy minister, has gained a slight edge over businessman Mr Noboa in opinion polls but the large number of undecided voters makes the result uncertain. Mr Noboa made his fortune in bananas and promised to bring foreign investment to Ecuador. He frequently campaigned carrying a bible.
Analysts say the country's rural areas, where people voted for the eliminated third and fourth placed candidates in the first round, will be crucial. He had said he would build 300,000 new homes a year for Ecuador.
Seeking change
The police and army have mounted a large security operation and both international and local observers are out in force as voters go to the polls.
A large security operation has been mounted around the electionEcuador is in a delicate state, says BBC correspondent Daniel Schweimler in Ecuador's capital, Quito.
The country is becoming increasingly polarised, says our correspondent, and people are disillusioned with its politicians and impatient for change.
The likely tightness of the race means every vote will be fought for and that both men are likely to question the results, he says, in an election crucial to the long-term stability of Ecuador.
Three presidents in the past 10 years have been forced from office by angry crowds.
Only three presidents since 1979 have served full terms.
Some nine million people in Ecuador, plus hundreds of thousands who live in Europe and the US, are entitled to vote.
Campaign claims
In October's first-round vote, Mr Correa said the count was fraudulent and that he had won a clear victory.
Mr Noboa, Ecuador's richest man, said Mr Correa's campaign had been financed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
The first round of voting was marred by allegations of fraud
"Correa wants an insurrection, a civil war in which the poor will die," said Mr Noboa.
He has already made two unsuccessful runs for the presidency, in 1998 and 2002.
He has accused his opponent of wanting to install a communist dictatorship and drive Ecuador into the camp of Venezuela's anti-American President Chavez.
Mr Noboa made his fortune in bananas and has promised to bring foreign investment to Ecuador. He frequently campaigned carrying a bible.
Mr Correa has said he would maintain good relations with the US, despite having called President George W Bush a "dimwit".
He has said he wants to renegotiate contracts with foreign oil companies and has threatened to reduce payments on Ecuador's foreign debt.
At his final rally, Mr Correa urged his supporters to follow the vehicles transporting ballot boxes to make sure votes were not tampered with.
"Watch out for alterations of results, ballot box switching; ensure there is no vote-buying."
An election win for Mr Noboa, he warned, would turn Ecuador into the banana magnate's "estate".