Sandinista's Ortega leads race for Nicaragua presidency

Leftist Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega had a strong lead over four other candidates after a Nicaragua election that could return the leftist to power 16 years after a US-backed rebellion helped force him from office.

With a little over 7% of polling stations counted, Ortega had 41% to 33% for Harvard-educated Eduardo Montealegre of the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance, a party that broke from the ruling Constitutionalist Liberal Party after former President Arnoldo Aleman was convicted of corruption.