Uruguay ruling candidate Vazquez wins presidential runoff

Elected President Tabare Vazquez (L) waves to supporters next to elected Vice-President Raul Sendic during a celebration rally in downtown Montevideo after knowing the results of a runoff election, November 30, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

MONTEVIDEO -- The ruling Broad Front (FA) party's candidate Tabare Vazquez won the presidential runoff on Sunday with 53 percent of the votes, according to quick counts by polling companies.

Pollster Equipos showed Vazquez winning with 53 percent of votes compared to 42 percent garnered by center-right National Party (PN)'s candidate Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou.

Meanwhile, pollster Cifra projected that Vazquez winning with 53.5 percent against 41 percent obtained by Lacalle Pou.

According to another polling company Factum, Vazquez has 53.9 percent of support and Lacalle Pou 40.6 percent.

The rest of the ballots were either blank or spoiled.

The winner will succeed President Jose Mujica on March 1, 2015.

The 74-year-old Vazquez, an oncologist, had been president from 2005 to 2010. His administration strove for reducing poverty, improving education and working conditions, and expanding welfare coverage.