Unofficial results from Nicaragua's national election indicate former revolutionary leader Daniel Ortega is headed for victory in the presidential poll.
Early results from Sunday's election gave Mr. Ortega about 40 percent of the vote, compared with 33 percent for his closest rival, Eduardo Montealegre of the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance party.
Mr. Ortega needs 35 percent and a five-point margin over his closest rival to win outright.
A runoff election will be held next month if no candidate wins outright.
Mr. Ortega has benefited from failure by conservatives to rally around one of the two conservatives in the first-round ballot. Analysts suggest either would beat Mr. Ortega in a runoff.
The United States has expressed concern Mr. Ortega could join Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Cuba's Fidel Castro in the anti-U.S. bloc of Latin American leaders if he wins.
Mr. Ortega is pledging to promote reconciliation and peace this time, 20 years after he seized power in a violent Marxist revolution.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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