Uruguay's opposition leftist candidate wins presidency

Centre-left opposition candidate Yamandu Orsi has secured victory in Uruguay's presidential election. With 97 per cent of votes tallied Orsi's victory was confirmed on Sunday, in a second-round race that pollsters expected to be closely fought. The the pre-election favourite by a few points, Orsi secured 49.77 per cent of the vote to conservative Alvaro Delgado's 45.94 per cent, official results showed. "The horizon is brightening," Orsi said as he addressed thousands of his Broad Front party supporters in Montevideo, who had gathered by a stage overlooking the capital city's waterfront to await the results. "The country of freedom, equality and also fraternity triumphs once again," he said. "Let's continue on that path." Both Delgado and Uruguay's president, fellow National Party member Luis Lacalle Pou, conceded the election, swiftly congratulating Orsi and offering to help with the transition after results signalled a victory for the centre-left. The election between two moderates in the small nation of 3.4 million people, known for its beaches, legalised marijuana and stability, marks the closing of a bumper year for global elections - many that suffered from bitter political divides. Unlike sharp right-left divides in recent elections in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, Uruguay's political arena is relatively tension-free, with significant overlap between the conservative and liberal coalitions vying for office. High living costs, inequality and violent crime are among Uruguayans' biggest worries, but inflation had been easing in the run-up to the election, and both employment and real salaries are on the rise. Orsi, who has pledged a "modern left" policy approach, won 43.9 per cent of the first-round October vote for the Broad Front and faced Delgado, who secured 26.8 per cent but also had the backing of the conservative Colorado Party that together with his National Party made up almost 42 per cent of votes. Orsi had sought to reassure Uruguayans that he does not plan a sharp policy shift in the traditionally moderate and relatively wealthy nation. The results confirmed that Uruguay had followed a global trend of incumbent parties losing vote share compared with the previous election, as the biggest year for elections in history comes to an end. Voters hurt by inflation have punished parties in power, including in Britain, Japan and the US. with AP