Bogota – Former Foreign Minister Noemi Sanin has defeated Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's hand-picked successor for the Conservative Party's presidential nomination in a close primary.

Results after five days of counting show Sanin beat former Agriculture Minister Andres Felipe Arias by 1.11 million to 1.08 million votes in Sunday's election.

The winner, announced Friday, puts standard-bearers of the governing coalition's top two parties in a tight race for May 30 presidential elections.

Sanin, 60, has been a fixture in Colombian politics for nearly three decades. She faces Juan Manuel Santos, a former Uribe defense minister, atop a crowded field.

Uribe was barred by a court decision from seeking a third consecutive term.