Leftist president claims election victory

President Rafael Correa, a leftist champion of the poor, declared re-election victory just moments after the polls closed – a win that breaks sharply with Ecuador’s history of political instability.

A partial unofficial count by a citizen’s group and three exit polls said Mr Correa garnered more than half the vote in an eight-candidate field, making him the first president elected in Ecuador in 30 years without a runoff.