Leftist seeks recount, despite 1m vote gap

Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa and the country’s electoral authority said he had secured a full four-year term on Sunday, as his leftist rival Luisa Gonzalez denounced Noboa’s unexpectedly expansive victory as “grotesque” fraud.

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Ms Gonzalez told supporters she did not accept the results — a steady 56% support for 37-year-old business heir Noboa compared to her 44% — and that she would demand a recount.

Mr Noboa, who focused his second-round campaign on the populous coastal provinces, which have suffered significant violence, notched the surprising lead of more than a million votes after a tight February first round where he came ahead by just over 16,700.

Ms Gonzalez offered no details of her recount demand when she spoke to supporters on Sunday night, nor did she immediately call for protests.

Mr Noboa, Ms Gonzalez and her mentor, former president Rafael Correa, had all warned of the potential for fraud ahead of the vote and each candidate had some 45,000 observers from their parties at polling places.

A state of emergency declared by Mr Noboa for security reasons one day before the election restricts mass gatherings in Quito, among other places, for 60 days.