MANAGUA (AFX) - Nicaraguans voted in elections closely watched by Washington, which feared a victory by its Cold War foe Daniel Ortega would further erode US influence in Latin America.
Endorsed by Venezuela's virulently anti-US President Hugo Chavez and openly opposed by the US administration, Ortega, 60, was the favorite in voter intention polls ahead of the presidential election.
He hovered close to the 35 pct needed to win outright on Sunday, benefiting from the conservatives' failure to rally behind a single candidate, with Jose Rizo of the Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC) and Eduardo Montealegre, a PLC dissident, battling to defeat Ortega and each other.
But pollsters said Ortega, who already made two bids for the presidency after being voted out of office in 1990, would face renewed defeat if the election goes to a run-off between the two top candidates.
Voting is due to end at 6.00 pm local time, with preliminary results expected hours later. newsdesk@afxnews.com afp/jlw COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2006. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited