Julian Assange could be evicted from Ecuador embassy after five years after election

During campaigning in Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso said that he would evict the WikiLeaks founder within 30 days of taking office, whereas rival Lenin Moreno said Assange could stay. 

Ruling party candidate Mr Moreno edged the run-off vote on Sunday with 51 per cent of the vote. 

Mr Lasso, who had earlier declared victory following favourable exit polls, branded the result “very sickening” and said he will challenge the counts in all of Ecuador’s 24 provinces. 

Assange has not left Ecuador’s embassy, tucked behind Harrods in Knightsbridge, since he walked through the door seeking political asylum in June 2012. 

He is wanted in Sweden over a sex allegation dating back to 2010, but he fears he will be extradited to the US for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks if he complies with Swedish authorities. 

The Metropolitan Police, which has spent £12 million on a 24-hour guard outside the building, has said officers will arrest him if he leaves. 

In March, a Swedish prosecutor visited the embassy to question Assange over the allegations, although a very different visitor grabbed headlines in recent months.