BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos would win more support than any other candidate in the first round vote for president, but the share of the electorate who will not pick any candidate on the ballot remains the biggest block of voters.
A poll by Ipsos Napoleon Franco showed that Santos would garner 25 per cent of the vote against rival candidates on May 25, while those who would mark the ballot in support of no candidate would be 27 per cent.
Another 23 per cent are undecided, the survey, published yesterday on RCN Radio’s website, said.
The number of voters who have opted not to vote for any individual candidate is higher than usual and is considered a protest vote but is likely to fall as the election nears, according to Ipsos.
A candidate must win more than 50 per cent to avoid a runoff on June 15.
Centre-right Santos is seeking re-election for a second straight term in office.
The poll showed right-wing opposition candidate Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, would get 8 per cent support if the election was held now.
Zuluaga, candidate for former President Alvaro Uribe’s party, is campaigning strongly against the peace talks with the Marxist FARC, or Revolu-tionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which Santos launched at the end of 2012 in Cuba.
