According to the data from the National Electoral Council of Ecuador, 85% of the votes were counted in yesterday's elections in the country.
Leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez is leading with 33% of the votes, while former legislator Daniel Noboa received 24% of the votes.
According to Ecuadorian laws, a candidate must receive at least 40% of the votes with a 10-point lead over the closest rival or secure 50% of the votes to win.
As none of the candidates achieved the necessary majority based on the current results, Ecuador is expected to hold a second-round election in October.
Therefore, the candidates with the highest votes, Gonzalez and Noboa, will compete in the second round.
Meanwhile, Christian Zurita, who was nominated to replace Fernando Villavicencio, who was assassinated shortly before the elections, finished in 3rd place with 16% of the votes.
Zurita, who gave a speech while wearing a bulletproof vest, said, "Finishing this election in 3rd place is a source of pride for me."
Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, known for his stance against corruption, was killed on August 9th when he was getting into his car in the capital, Quito. An attacker shot him three times in the head.
The Ecuadorian Attorney General had reported that the suspect responsible for the attack was killed in a confrontation with security forces and succumbed to his injuries.
Villavicencio had stated that he had received death threats from various individuals, including leaders of the international organized crime group "Sinaloa Cartel," which operates in Ecuador.
