MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (Reuters) -- Uruguay has made a historic political shift in electing its first leftist president, Tabare Vazquez, and giving his coalition a majority in Congress to face rebuilding the country after its recent economic crisis.

With nearly all votes tallied Monday morning, the charismatic 64-year-old doctor had 50.7 percent of the vote, slightly more than the 50 percent plus one vote needed to win in first-round balloting.

The Electoral Court said it could not confirm the winner Monday because 30,000 votes had yet to be counted, but the left and analysts continued to work on the assumption of a Vazquez victory.

Although Vazquez won by a lower margin than expected in this third run for the presidency, it was enough to ensure he would be able to govern. Vazquez declared himself winner a few hours after compulsory voting ended in the nation of 3.4 million, and his two challengers conceded.

"We will begin to work in the morning on the political transition because there is no time to lose," Vazquez told supporters who embraced his call for wider distribution of wealth and social justice.

Uruguay joins the ranks of South American nations -- Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Venezuela -- that have chosen left-leaning leaders on platforms of alleviating poverty following a decade of U.S.-backed free-market policies that often ended in economic chaos.

Vazquez's 33-year-old Broad Front coalition -- including Socialists, Communists, Social Democrats and a hugely popular former guerrilla movement -- also secured majorities in both houses of Congress.

A pivotal contribution to Vazquez's victory was made by former guerrilla leader Jose Mujica, who won more votes than any other senator and whose Popular Participation Movement, built on the remnants of the Tupamaro guerrilla movement, garnered more votes than any other party.

"I think this is the beginning of a cycle of the left in power for 10 years or more," said political scientist Gustavo de Armas.

Vazquez will be sworn in March 1 to a five-year term. Re-election of presidents is not permitted in Uruguay.

Young Uruguayans who saw their career options evaporate in recent years reveled late into the night on Montevideo's main avenue singing "You see, Tabare is now president."

The election marked a radical departure from the last 170 years of rule by the the two traditional parties, the Colorados and Blancos, blamed for aggravating the 1999-2003 recession and destroying the social safety net envied by the rest of Latin America.

Center-right National Party, or Blanco, candidate Jorge Larranaga had 34.3 percent of the vote, while Guillermo Stirling of the centrist ruling Colorado Party trailed with 10.4 percent. Both conceded and ruled out a runoff.

Focus on growth
Uruguay's economy is growing again, but the recession left one-third of Uruguayans below the poverty line and forced 100,000 mostly young people to emigrate.

Vazquez, a cancer specialist who plans to keep seeing patients each week, said his first priority will be to tackle "the social emergency" of 100,000 indigent people. More jobs and social services for the rest of the population will take time due to lack of public funds.

"Tabare will probably need two years to create jobs. I hope to get a factory job," said Fabiana Carretto, 37, an unemployed single mother of three.

Indeed, the new government is betting on fresh investment to rebuild industry in addition to ranching and banking. Taking a page from the book of the market-friendly leftist Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Vazquez has told investors there will be no upheaval and Uruguay will honor its $11 billion in foreign debt.

"The cornerstone to reducing our vulnerability is growth. There is no other way," said Danilo Astori, a market favorite Vazquez has tapped for economy minister in his Cabinet.

Copyright 2004 Reuters.