By Luis Jaime Acosta
BOGOTA, May 29 (Reuters) - Colombians are set to vote on Sunday in what is likely the first round of a presidential election, amid deep polarization between those seeking continuity with the leftist government and those pushing for a shift to restore security and economic growth.
Ivan Cepeda, the candidate for the leftist Historic Pact coalition, has led in polling on his pledges to expand President Gustavo Petro's social programs and pursue peace with illegal armed groups to end a six-decade internal conflict, though he is expected to face an uphill battle in an eventual second round.
Cepeda, a 63-year-old philosopher and congressman since 2010, has proposed tax reforms to broaden the tax base, levy wealth taxes and reduce exemptions for large companies to fund social spending. He has said he is open to proposals from the left to rewrite the constitution.
Cepeda, whose communist leader father was killed in a 1994 paramilitary attack, faces a divided right led by independent businessman Abelardo De La Espriella and Senator Paloma Valencia, who former President Alvaro Uribe backs.
TOUGH APPROACH TO ARMED GROUPS
De La Espriella, a 47-year-old political outsider whose supporters call him "The Tiger," has centered his campaign on security, shrinking the state and reviving the economy. His proposals include an aggressive response to crime, drug trafficking and illegal armed groups, strengthening the armed forces and building mega-prisons. He plans to cut taxes and revive the mining and oil sectors.
Valencia, 48, a lawyer and candidate for the right-wing Democratic Center party, has similarly emphasized security and economic recovery. She has vowed to combat illegal armed groups, end Petro’s efforts to negotiate peace deals, cut corporate taxes to boost employment and pursue reforms to healthcare, justice and pensions.
Centrist candidates, including former Antioquia Governor Sergio Fajardo and former Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez, have lagged in the polls compared to previous elections.
Surveys suggest it is unlikely any candidate will secure more than 50% of the vote on Sunday, meaning the top two finishers would advance to a runoff on June 21.
Whoever wins will face major challenges, including stabilizing public finances in Latin America's fourth-largest economy, reducing poverty, curbing violence linked to the internal conflict, and addressing social needs.
More than 41 million Colombians are eligible to vote in polls that open at 8 a.m. local time (1300 GMT) and close eight hours later.
(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta, Editing by Julia Symmes Cobb, Rod Nickel)
