Could a former mayor of Bogota become the dark horse candidate to win Colombia’s presidency? It may seem like a long shot but one recent poll showed that his campaign was on the rise.According to the poll commissioned by CM&, Green Party candidate Antanas Mockus holds a scant 2% lead over Conservative Party candidate Noemi Sanin. Mockus has surged into second place after most polls in the run-up to May’s elections had Sanin trailing fellow Uribista Juan Manuel Santos. Though Santos has consistently led the polls by double-digits it appears as if a second round will be needed in June to decide who will succeed Alvaro Uribe.
The CM& poll has not been without controversy, however; Radical Change candidate Germán Vargas Lleras called for an investigation after rumors emerged that polling firm Datexco repeated the survey when Mockus supposedly emerged ahead of Santos. Datexco’s director denied the claims in an interview with Colombian political website La Silla Vacia.
Mockus’ choice of former Medellin mayor Sergio Fajardo for vice president may have contributed to his zoom in the polls and some of their supporters are hoping for a first round upset. His center-left platform has been critical of the FARC as he vies to become a viable independent candidate:
"He seems to be in the same position that Uribe was in 2002, when he started way behind in the polls and then climbed very quickly," said Mauricio Romero, professor of political science at Bogota's Javeriana University.Image- La Opinion
"Mockus's anti-corruption stance and emphasis on building a civic culture are attractive to a lot of people. He also has wide support in the business community," Romero said. "Having Parkinson's should not hurt him politically, but it remains to be seen how much support he can gain before May 30."
Online Sources- La Silla Vacia, AP, El Espectador, BusinessWeek, Colombia Reports, El Tiempo, Reuters
2 comments:
Erwin,
Indeed, this will be an interesting and to a certain extent unexpected election if things turn out as the polls suggest it. Mockus-Fajardo have gained much support since they announced that they would join forces, and I believe that this move was crucial for overtaking Sanin in the polls. Both are very popular in their respective cities, where they had considerable achievements throughout their respective terms as mayors.
If they make it to the second round, which according to the polls looks quite possible, their main challenge to be a serious contender to Santos will be to gain more support outside their main, i.e. in rural areas. They are well known in Bogota and Medellin, but lack public exposure in other areas of the country.
Best regards,
Roberto
if this 'Green Party' candidate wins,
and Colombia is VERY important for this planet,
then it will be excelent ramifications for revolution in all Latin countries, on a posItive level FOR 'the people'
hope he wins
Viva Colombia
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