Bolivia's President-elect Luis Arce pledged on Friday to "rebuild" the Andean country after a tumultuous year of political turmoil and the pandemic, as the official vote count confirmed a landslide win for his socialist party.

The final tally showed Arce won just over 55 percent of the vote, sweeping the socialists back into power just a year after the party's leftist leader Evo Morales was ousted amid protests.

The win draws the curtain on a painful period for Bolivia after an election late last year was dogged by disputed allegations of fraud, sparking violent protests, looting, and blockades, and eventually prompting Morales to resign.

The count put Arce, a pragmatic economist credited with fostering Bolivia's boom years from the mid-2000s, more than 26 points ahead of centrist runner-up Carlos Mesa, who had just shy of 29 percent - a far larger gap than had been expected.

Arce, who was economy minister under Morales, was seen as a moderating voice in his government. He told Reuters this week Morales would have no role in his administration.

Morales is living in exile in Argentina but remains the president of Arce's party, the Movement Toward Socialism, and played a key role in picking Arce as the party's candidate.

(With input from Reuters) 

(Cover: Luis Arce, the presidential candidate of the Movement to Socialism party, during an interview with Reuters in La Paz, Bolivia, October 20, 2020. /Reuters)