Ecuador's Correa claims victory

Ecuador's presidential candidate Rafael Correa has claimed victory in Sunday's run-off election.

Rafael Correa has a commanding lead in unofficial exit polls

Three exit polls and an unofficial quick count indicated Mr Correa had gained around 57% of the vote while Alvaro Noboa polled about 43%.

Mr Noboa has said he won the election and if necessary will ask for a recount after official results are announced.

International observers had urged both candidates to be cautious in claiming victory before results were official.

We accept this victory with dignity and humility... We are just instruments of the power of the people Rafael Correa

Ecuador has seen much political turmoil in recent years with seven presidents in the last decade.

The last three elected presidents were overthrown and only three since 1979 have succeeded in serving full terms.

Policy announcements

"Thank God, we have triumphed," Mr Correa told supporters in the capital Quito.

"We accept this victory with dignity and humility... We are just instruments of the power of the people."

Although the official result has not yet been announced, Mr Correa has moved quickly to make policy announcements and appoint ministers.

He said he will try to rejoin the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) which Ecuador left in 1992.

He also named leftist economists Ricardo Patino and Alberto Acosta as his economy and energy ministers, Reuters news agency said.

His rival Alvaro Noboa rejected the exit polls and said he would wait until official results were announced before asking for a recount if necessary.

Alvaro Noboa has said he will ask for a recount if necessary

Before voting, he had gone down on his knees, Bible in hand, and asked God for support.

"Like Christ, all I want is to serve... so that the poor can have housing, health care, education, jobs," Associated Press news agency quoted him as saying.

The billionaire banana tycoon, Ecuador's richest man, had campaigned promising to attract foreign investment to Ecuador. He frequently carried a Bible.

He had said he would build 300,000 new homes a year for Ecuador's poor.

Foreign debt promises

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 said.

While campaigning, Mr Correa said he wanted to renegotiate contracts with foreign oil companies.

Mr Correa is close to Venezuela's anti-American President Hugo Chavez and has called US President George W Bush a "dimwit".

He toned down his comparison to Mr Chavez after he lost the first round vote to Mr Noboa.

Both candidates had promised to create jobs and fight poverty and corruption. Both had also promised to double the monthly government payout poor Ecuadorians receive.