BOGOTA (Colombia), June 1 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Colombia's presidential election will proceed to a runoff after no candidate won an outright majority in the first round of voting, according to preliminary results released Sunday by electoral authorities, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
With 96 per cent of ballots counted, the country's National Civil Registry reported that Abelardo de la Espriella, who serves as the presidential nominee for the conservative National Salvation Movement, led the race with 43.62 per cent of the vote.
Ivan Cepeda, a senator running under the banner of the ruling Pacto Histórico coalition, placed second with 41.13 per cent.
Paloma Valencia, the candidate of the Centro Democrático party founded by former President Álvaro Uribe, finished third with 6.86 per cent of the vote.
Former Antioquia Governor Sergio Fajardo received 4.20 per cent, while Raul Santiago Botero of the Destroy the System movement garnered 0.95 per cent.
As no candidate surpassed the 50 per cent threshold required to win outright, de la Espriella and Cepeda will advance to a runoff election scheduled for June 21 to determine Colombia's next president.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
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