BOGOTA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Colombia holds presidential elections on Sunday. Following are profiles of the three leading presidential candidates.

    -- Alvaro Uribe Velez, incumbent president and independent candidate, is favorite to win outright in the polls. He leads with 57 percent of support in the latest poll. More than 50 percent of the vote is required to win the presidency without a run-off.

    Born in the country's second largest city of Medellin on July 4,1952, Uribe studied law at the University of Antioquia, before going to Harvard University in the United States to study business management. He worked as a visiting professor at Oxford University from 1998 to 1999.

    His career as a public servant began in 1977, when he worked for a year in the Labor Ministry. He then served as director of the National Aviation Administration from 1980 to 1982, and a councilor and mayor of Medellin from 1982 to 1986. He was governor of Antioquia state from 1995 to 1997, and a senator for two terms from 1986 to 1994.

    On May 26, 2002, he was elected as president of Colombia for a four-year term, and was sworn in on Aug. 7.

    He was a fierce critic of efforts to make peace with the left-wing rebels the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). And he negotiated the demobilization of the 30,000-strong right-wing armed group, the Self Defence Forces of Colombia.

    He married philosopher Lina Morena 22 years ago and they have two children.

    -- Carlos Gaviria Diaz, candidate of the Alternative Democratic Pole party (PDA), is running in second place in the opinion polls.

    Born on May 8, 1937, Gaviria was a professor for 30 years at the University of Antioquia, and incumbent president Uribe was one of his former students. He has master degrees in law and political science from the University of Antioquia, and in jurisprudence from Harvard University.

    Gaviria served as vice-chancellor of the University of Antioquia from 1989 to 1992, magistrate of the Colombian Constitutional Court from 1993 to 2001, and became president of the Court in 1996. He was elected a senator in 2002, representing the Social and political Front.

    He has promised to boost links with the rest of South America, if he won the election, and oppose the free trade agreement with the United States, signed by the Uribe administration. He would also dismantle the U.S. military bases in Colombia and ask the U.S. to leave the country.

    He has also said he would seek to negotiate a net reduction in external debt, and free government resources for social programs including free medical help for the poor and welfare for the unemployed.

    He has been married for 40 years to Maria Cristina Gomez, a teacher.

    -- Horacio Serpa, candidate of the Liberal Party, recently slipped into third place, losing much of his support due to an effective campaign run by Gaviria. He is running for the third consecutive time.

    Born on Jan. 3, 1943, in Bucaramanga, Santander department, Serpa's political career includes working as ambassador to the Organization of American States.

    Serpa was secretary of Education of Santander department in 1976.

    His electoral promises include: immediately beginning talks with the FARC, opposing the free trade agreement with the U.S., as well as fighting poverty, inequality and illiteracy. His government would target the growth in small and medium-sized business, boosting their competence to deal with globalization.

    He married teacher Rosita Moncada, and the couple have three children -- two daughters and one son. Enditem