1st LD: Argentina's ruling party candidate concedes defeat in presidential race

Argentina's ruling party candidate Daniel Scioli conceded defeat to Mauricio Macri of the opposition conservative Cambiemos (Let's Change) Party in Sunday's presidential election.

"The Argentine people ... have elected a new president, Mauricio Macri, who I have just congratulated by telephone and wish him the greatest success," Scioli told his supporters.

Official results showed Macri garnered 53.3 percent of the vote and Scioli, 46.7 percent, with 69 percent of the votes counted. Though the final official outcome had yet to be announced, Scioli said "the results show a definitive tendency" in favor of Macri.

Just after 9:30 pm local time (0030 GMT), Scioli said "I have tried my best to converse, dissuade and convince, but the people have chosen an alternative that we hope god will illuminate so he can improve on what we have done in recent years."

Macri's win marks an end to 12 years of government by the ruling party, which came to power in 2003 under the presidency of Nestor Kirchner (2003-2007) and continued under his successor and wife Cristina Fernandez, whose second term ends this December. Endi