Montevideo, Oct 28 (IANS) Uruguay's ruling Broad Front(FA) has won the first round of presidential elections held Sunday, but fell just short of the 50-plus percent needed to clinch the race, media reported Monday.

With 98.7 percent of the votes counted, the FA had secured 47.17 percent of the votes, meaning it will continue to enjoy a majority in both houses of the parliament, Xinhua reported citing the state Uruguayan News Agency.

In Sunday's poll, the opposition National Party(PN) came in second, garnering 30.55 percent of the vote, and the opposition Colorado Party (PC) took third place, with 12.77 percent, the report said.

Given these figures, "the Broad Front would get 50 deputy seats, the National Party would have 32, the Colorado Party 13" and two smaller parties, the Independent Party and Popular Unity, would have three and one, respectively.

FA presidential candidate and former president Tabare Vazquez and the PN's Luis Lacalle Pou will compete in a runoff Nov 30, which is going to be close, after the right-wing Colorado Party candidate Pedro Bordaberry threw his support behind fellow conservative Lacalle Pou Sunday night, with many party loyalists likely to follow suit.

The winner of the presidential race will succeed President Jose Mujica, who is barred from running for a second consecutive term March 1, 2015.