Uruguay's Orsi: From the classroom to the presidency

Uruguay's next president is a former history teacher who swapped the classroom for local government -- and will now lead the nation of 3.4 million following his Sunday win at the polls.

President-elect Yamandu Orsi, of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) alliance, defeated Alvaro Delgado of the center-right National Party in the second round of voting, returning the country to left-wing rule.

Orsi won 1,196,798 votes compared to Delgado's 1,101,296, the country's Electoral Court said -- 49.8 per cent to 45.9 per cent.

Orsi, 57, garnered nearly 44 per cent of ballots cast in the first election round on October 27 and held a small lead in opinion polls ahead of Sunday's tight vote.

He is seen as the understudy of highly popular ex-president Jose "Pepe" Mujica, known as "the world's poorest president" during his 2010-2015 rule because of his modest lifestyle.

Orsi was born in a house in the countryside with no electricity.

He grew up in the town of Canelones, of which he later became mayor.

As a child, he helped out in his parents' grocery store and was a folk dancer and a Catholic altar boy.

In 1989, he joined the Movement of Popular Participation, founded by Mujica, which later became part of the Frente Amplio coalition.

Orsi taught history in high school until 2005, when he entered local government.

He handily won the Frente Amplio primary in June, defeating former Montevideo mayor Carolina Cosse, whom he then chose as his running mate.

The twice-married educator and father of twins campaigned as a moderate with a down-to-earth approach.

But his failure to set out a clear plan for government drew criticism. He also declined to take part in debates and gave few media interviews.