LA PAZ, Bolivia.- President Evo Morales won the first round in Sunday’s general election, but he will have to go to the second ballot in December in front of his closest competitor, Carlos Mesa.

The High Electoral Court results put Morales at the forefront of the count with 45.28 percent of the vote, compared to 38.16 percent of former President Mesa.

To win in the first round, a candidate must get half plus one of the votes or win with at least 40 percent of the vote, but with a difference of 10 percentage points compared to the second place.

After the preliminary data of the general election, the Minister of Government, Carlos Romero, highlighted that the Movement for Socialism is ratified as the first political force in the Senate and in the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia.