(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-21 10:07

BUENOS AIRES -- Former Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo won Sunday's Paraguayan presidential elections, according to polls published after the elections concluded in this South American country.

Paraguayan presidential candidate Fernando Lugo gives a thumb-up after he votes in a polling station near Asuncion, Paraguay, on April 20, 2008. Lugo won Sunday's Paraguayan presidential elections. [Xinhua]

If electoral officials confirm the victory, leftists Lugo will become the first president to defeat official party Colorado Party that has held power for the past 61 years in Paraguay, according to reports reaching here from Asuncion, Paraguay's capital.

Lugo, of the Patriotic Alliance for Change party, obtained 43.47 percent of the votes, according to an exit poll published on Sunday afternoon by Radio Nanduti and ABC Color daily.

Governing party Colorado Party's candidate Blanca Ovelar holds second place with 37 percent of the votes and the third place is held by retired general Lino Oviedo, of rightwing Ethic Citizens' National Union with 16.4 percent of the votes counted in the exit poll.

The fourth place is held by Pedor Fadul, Beloved Country Party, with 3.1 percent of the votes.

The candidate with the highest amount of votes will win the presidency since there is not a second round in Paraguay.

The winner of the elections will be sworn in on Aug. 15 for a five-year period taking Nicanor Duarte's place.