Polls open in Colombia's presidential vote

Polling stations have opened in Colombia for first-round presidential elections, with more than 32 million eligible to vote.

Electoral personnel count votes after presidential elections at a polling station in Cali, Colombia, on May 25, 2014. (AFP)

Electoral personnel count votes after presidential elections at a polling station in Cali, Colombia, on May 25, 2014. (AFP)

Colombian voters are heading to the polls for a presidential vote seen as a referendum on government's peace talks with Marxist guerillas to end a half-century-old civil war.

Polling stations opened on schedule on Sunday morning for the first round election, with more than 32 million eligible to vote.

The election pits President Juan Manuel Santos, seeking a second four-year term after launching peace talks in 2012, against main rival Oscar Zuluaga, who has vowed to take a harder line against rebels.

The two rivals are running neck-and-neck in a field of five after a late surge in the polls by Zuluaga, setting up a likely run-off on June 15.

Santos and Zuluaga were once cabinet colleagues under former conservative president Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010) but are now bitter rivals and have clashed repeatedly in the campaign.

Santos worked as defence minister under Uribe, accompanying the former leader's aggressive military campaign that led to the killings of key FARC leaders.

But Uribe, who remains popular, has thrown his weight behind Zuluaga, his former finance minister, going as far as calling Santos a traitor for negotiating with the rebels.

The peace process, hosted by Cuba, seeks to end a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than five million since it erupted in 1964.


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Source: AAP


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