A second poll published this week on President Alvaro Uribe’s potential re-election confirms that the head of state no longer has the support of the majority of Colombians in his bid to stay in power for a third term.
CMI and the Colombian National Consultancy Center together conducted the poll, following the judgement of Humberto Sierra, the magistrate appointed by the Constitutional Court to examine the referendum, that the document is unconstitutional.
The results of Friday’s poll concur with those of a poll published on Monday, which reported that 47% of Colombians interviewed said they did not think a referendum should be held to change the constitution so that Uribe could stand for a third term as president.
The wording of Friday’s poll was less specific, simply asking if participants support Uribe’s re-election. 54% of respondents answered “no.”
What is clear from the results of the two polls is that Uribe’s popularity is declining. His approval rating has fallen from 66% at the end of November 2009, to less than 50% at the beginning of February 2010.
Friday’s poll also asked participants who they would vote for if Uribe does not run for president in the upcoming election. Juan Manuel Santos is the most popular alternative candidate, supported by 27% of respondents, followed by Sergio Fejardo with 16% and Gustavo Petro with 11%.
The poll was conducted in the cities of Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Pereira, Pasto, Sincelejo and Cucuta.