Morales aide claims victory in Bolivia's election redo

La Paz (Bolivia): Evo Morales' party claimed victory in Bolivia's presidential election as official results trickled in from Sunday's high-stakes redo of last year's annulled ballot that saw the leftist leader resign and flee the country.

More than nine hours after polls closed, barely 6% of all ballot boxes had been counted and they showed Morales' handpicked successor, Luis Arce, trailing a conservative rival.

But with a private quick count of sampled polling stations favoring Arce by a wide margin, even interim President Jeanine ez an archrival of Morales recognized that the socialist movement looked set to return to power in what looked to be a major jolt to South America's beleaguered left.

I congratulate the winners and I ask them to govern thinking in Bolivia and in our democracy, ez said on Twitter.

Bolivians have long been accustomed to quick preliminary results in presidential elections.

But after allegations of fraud and days of unrest marred last year's ballot, newly installed electoral authorities had been appealing for patience, reminding voters that they have up to five days to declare a winner.

While voting was peaceful, the long wait Sunday night for results fueled speculation that something was awry. Adding to intrigue, publication of two exit polls was also withheld after private pollsters said they didn't trust their own survey

results.

Morales broke the tense silence by declaring Arce the winner. Later, two pollsters said a quick count of official tally sheets at select polling stations showed Arce had garnered more than 50% of the votes, compared to 31% for former President Carlos Mesa, the top finisher of four rival candidates.