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Colombian Presidential Election Heads for Runoff

   VOA News 30 May 2010
   Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe holds his ballot while voting during
   presidential elections in Bogota, Sunday , May 30, 2010

Photo: AP

   Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe holds his ballot while voting during
   presidential elections in Bogota, Sunday , May 30, 2010

   Former  Colombian  Defense  Minister  Juan  Manuel  Santos has taken a
   commanding lead in the country's presidential election, but appears to
   be falling short of the votes needed to avoid a runoff.
   With  nearly all ballots counted, election officials say Santos has 47
   percent of the vote to 22 percent for Mockus.
   If  Santos'  vote  total does not rise above 50 percent, he and Mockus
   will compete in a runoff ballot in June.
   Even   before   Sunday's   vote,   Santos  and  Mockus  were  seen  as
   front-runners  to  succeed  popular  President  Alvaro  Uribe, who has
   served  the  maximum  two  terms.  Millions of Colombians went to the
   polls.
   Santos   is   an  economist  from  one  of  Colombia's  most  powerful
   families.   As  Mr. Uribe's defense minister, he oversaw the military
   campaign  that largely drove the leftist FARC rebels into the hill and
   jungle regions.
   Santos  faced  unexpected competition from Mockus, a mathematician and
   philosopher who campaigned on a message of "clean politics."
   President  Uribe, who has enjoyed immense popularity for bringing more
   security to Colombia, has been a strong U.S. ally.

   Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, AP and AFP.
   

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