Final poll before Colombia’s first round vote – Cepeda: 44.6%, De la Espriella: 31.6%

The final poll before the first round of Colombia’s presidential election suggests that the leftist frontrunner, Senator Ivan Cepeda, will have to confront far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella in a run-off vote.

According to the poll conducted by Invamer, Cepeda can count of the support of 44.6% of voters, which is only 0.3 points higher than the support measured in late April.

De la Espriella rose more than 10 points to 31.6%, mainly because of a collapse of support for his immediate rival on the far-right, Senator Paloma Valencia.

Support for the far-right senator dropped a staggering 5.8 points to 14%, making her appearance in the second round unlikely.

The support of liberal candidates like Sergio Fajardo and Claudia Lopez dropped to below 2.5% amid an apparent polarization of Colombians’ electoral preferences.

Second round projection favors Cepeda

A 52.4% majority of Colombian voters will vote for Cepeda in an eventual run-off with De La Espriella, who could count on 45.6% if votes were counted today, according to Invamer.

In the April poll, the far-right lawyer was 12 points behind on his leftist opponent, whose support is partly due to the relative popularity of outgoing President Gustavo Petro.

De La Espriella became the increasingly likely second-round contestant amid increasingly hostile relations with news media over their reporting on the far-right candidate’s ties to the now-defunct paramilitary organization AUC and drug traffickers.

Valencia lost support despite significant support from liberal and conservative political machineries, and major corporate institutions.

Campaigns suspended until after first round

In accordance with electoral law, all campaign events and polling exercises have been suspended until after the first round on May 31.

If this initial voting round does not produce a winner who obtains more than 50% of the votes, a second round will be held on June 21.

The newly elected president will take office on August 7.

The post Final poll before Colombia’s first round vote – Cepeda: 44.6%, De la Espriella: 31.6% appeared first on Colombia News.

المصدر: Colombia Reports