Reply #4: Correa ahead in Ecuador vote

[Joanne98]

Correa ahead in Ecuador vote
27.11.2006. 10:11:49
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=133023®ion=4


Leftist economist Rafael Correa is leading Ecuador's presidential election with a 14-point lead over conservative banana tycoon Alvaro Noboa, exit polls showed.

Mr Correa, 43 and a friend of Venezuela's anti-US president Hugo Chavez, had an advantage of 13.6 percentage points in one poll, 14 in another and almost 16 in a third.

Cedatos/Gallup showed him winning the presidency with 56.8 percent of the vote, Teleamazonas television had him taking 57 percent and the Market pollsters gave Mr Correa 57.99 percent.

Ecuador country profile

Mr Noboa, 56 had earlier insisted he was headed to victory and urged voters to ignore exit polls.

Mr Correa has stirred unease on financial markets with his calls to renegotiate the country's debt and revise foreign oil companies' contracts in Ecuador.

His friendship with Venezuela's firebrand leader, and his determination not to renew a lease for a US military base in Ecuador, also have caused concern in
Washington.
http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=133023®ion=4

SOURCE: AFP