Bolivia lost a historic election, and a runoff for the presidency is scheduled for October.

Early official results from Sunday’s presidential election showed that centrist senator Rodrigo Paz was winning the race, putting the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) on course for its worst election loss in a generation.

According to preliminary results announced by the electoral tribunal on Sunday evening, Eduardo del Castillo of MAS got only 3.16% of the vote, while Paz of the Christian Democratic Party had 32.18%. Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, the Alianza coalition’s conservative former president, came in second with 26.94% of the vote.

“Bolivia is not just asking for a change in government, it’s asking for a change in the political system,” Paz said in a speech broadcast on Sunday night. “This is the beginning of a great victory, of a great transformation,” he added, as his supporters chanted “renewal.” Earlier on Sunday, Quiroga acknowledged the results, confirming his place in the runoff, and congratulated Paz on his performance.

Outgoing President Luis Arce released an upbeat statement recognizing the results. “Democracy has triumphed,” the statement read.

A runoff election will be held on October 19 if no presidential contender receives more than 40% of the vote with a 10-point advantage. Within seven days, the complete official results will be made public.

Analysts were somewhat aback by Paz’s impressive performance. With almost 10% of the vote, the senator fell significantly behind Quiroga and center-right Unidad Alliance coalition candidate Samuel Doria Medina, according to opinion polls. Businessman Medina announced he will back Paz in a potential runoff after admitting defeat on Sunday. Inflation at a four-decade high and the absence of former socialist president Evo Morales, who was disqualified from running and denounced the vote, have cast a shadow over Sunday’s general election.

However, Morales’ appeals to abstain from voting seemed to be unsuccessful.
According to officials, Sunday’s voter turnout remained consistent. International observers reported no significant disruptions, despite initial worries that Morales supporters may interfere with the election process by urging people to abstain from voting. Polling places in the heart of Cochabamba, Morales’ electoral stronghold, had a number of small incidents.

According to International Crisis Group Southern Andes expert Glaeldys Gonzalez Calanche, the election was a “crossroads moment” for Bolivia due to the crowded field of eight candidates and the lack of a dominant MAS party candidate.

Many people have been preoccupied by Bolivia’s precarious economic situation. Fuel and currencies have become scarce, and price increases have surpassed those in other Latin American nations this year.  Some Bolivians turned to cryptocurrencies as a hedge when annual inflation jumped to 23% in June from 12% in January.