BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Bolivian President Evo Morales posted a 10-point lead against main rival Carlos Mesa in the presidential election vote count, official data showed for the first time in the early hours of Thursday, a key level because if maintained it would hand the leftist leader an outright victory in the fractious race.
The count showed Morales on 46.76%, which put him exactly ten points clear of his closest rival Mesa, with just over 98% of the slower, binding count completed. That gap would mean he would avoid a risky second round run-off.
(Reporting by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
