San Salvador, El Salvador  - Left-wing candidate Mauricio Funes appeared set to win Sunday's presidential election in El Salvador, according to the preliminary official count.

Funes, 49, was leading with 51.28 per cent of the votes, to the 48.72 per cent of ruling party candidate Rodrigo Avila, according to the Salvadoran Supreme Electoral Tribunal with some 33 per cent of the ballots counted.

If confirmed, a leftist victory would be historic, after a 20-year rule by the right-wing party ARENA. (dpa)