Colombia: President, 17 June 2018

At stake in this election:

• The office of the President of Colombia

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Juan Manuel SANTOS Calderon
• Head of Government: President Juan Manuel SANTOS Calderon
• Assembly: Colombia has a bicameral Congress (Congreso) consisting of the Senate (Senado) with 102 seats and the House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes) with 166 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 4-year term. Presidents are limited to two four-year terms.

Election Note:

• If no candidate receives a majority of votes on 25 May, a runoff between the two top candidates will be held on 15 June.

Main candidates in this presidential election:

• Gustavo PETRO
  • ​Party: Progressive Movement / Movimiento Progresista
  • Vice-Presidential Running Mate: Carlos Caicendo
• Iván DUQUE Márquez
  • Party: Democratic Center / Centro Democratico
  • Vice-Presidential Running Mate: Marta Lucía Ramírez

Last election:

• The first round of presidential elections in Colombia was held on 27 May 2018. In the first round, Gustavo Petro of the Progressive Movement party received 25.1 percent of the vote, while Iván Duque Marquez receieved 39.11 percent. Both candidates were below the 50 percent threshold to win the election outright, and will therefore face each other in a runoff on 17 June. In the second round, SANTOS received 50.98 percent to ZULUAGA’s  44.98 percent and was declared the winner.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 47,791,393 (2014)
• Registered Voters: 32,835,856 (2014)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 24,255,888 (2014)

·         Is Colombia a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Colombia ratified CEDAW: Yes (19 January 1982)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 33 (House of Representatives); 23 (Senate) (following 2014 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 97 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Colombia a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Colombia ratified CRPD: Yes (10 May 2011)

·         Population with a disability: 7,168,708 (est.)