Despite predictions of an opposition victory in presidential elections, Colombia's scandal-plagued Liberal Party showed surprising strength in polls released Saturday.
Four surveys placed ruling Liberal Party candidate Horacio Serpa and Conservative Party challenger Andres Pastrana nearly even in the run up to today's vote.Public anger with the government of President Ernesto Samper had led most analysts to predict a Pastrana victory in Sunday's runoff, but Serpa has surprised many with his strong showing the latest polls. Liberal Party politicians have held the presidency for the past 12 years.
The two candidates each received about 35 percent of the vote in first round voting May 31. Independent candidate Noemi Sanin placed a close third.
In a poll by the National Consulting Center, Serpa had 44 percent of the vote, compared to 43 percent for Pastrana. The survey was based on interviews between June 15 and June 18 with 5,509 people in 100 cities and towns. It had a margin of error of 1.3 percent. The other surveys gave similar results.
Pastrana, 44, is a president's son and former Bogota mayor who has run as the candidate of change. Serpa, 55, was Interior Minister under Samper, who came under attack both at home and abroad for alleged links to drug traffickers.