San Jose, Feb 7 (IANS): Former Costa Rican President Jose Maria Figueres is leadinin the country's presidential election, while a runoff is looming as no clear winner has emerged as of Monday, according to the latest data from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

With 79.96 per cent of the ballots counted, Figueres of the National Liberation Party, who was the country's President from 1994 to 1998, was leading with 27.29 pe rcent of the votes, Xinhua news agency reported citing figures from the TSE

In second place was former Finance Minister Rodrigo Chaves of the Social Democratic Progress Party with 16.66 per cent of the votes.

Fabricio Alvarado of the New Republic party came third with 14.93 per cent of the vote, and the gap between Chaves and Alvarado has been widening, according to the TSE.

If none of the candidates exceeded the threshold of 40 per cent of the vote to win the country's presidency in the first round, a run-off will be held on April 3.

The winner of the runoff will assume the presidency in Costa Rica on May 8, replacing the current president, Carlos Alvarado.