Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is widely expected to win a new term after overseeing a period of political stability and economic growth in the small South American country. The tough-talking incumbent, a close ally of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and other left-leaning presidents in the region, should win enough votes in Sunday’s election to avoid a second round, a majority of opinion polls showed.

In power since 2007, Correa is the first Ecuadorian president to complete his mandate in over sixteen years. The Andean country of 15 million people saw seven different presidents between 1996 and 2006. A US-trained economist, Correa was confirmed as president in 2009, in elections spurred by a new constitution.

According to Quito-based polling firms Perfiles de Opinion and CIEES, Correa will easily claim 40 percent of votes cast on Sunday, which includes a 10-point margin over his closest rival –two requirements needed to win outright in the first round.

A study by the Mexico-based pollster ARCOP shows Correa with a slightly smaller edge, meaning he could face a run-off poll against conservative banker Guillermo Lasso. But ARCOP also gave the incumbent a 69-percent approval rating among voters, leaving little doubt about the outcome of a second-round ballot.