Parliamentary elections and presidential primaries kicked off in Colombiaon Sunday.

The South American country is voting for a new Congress and selecting candidates from three coalitions in a primary-style contest before presidential elections this May.

Around 41 million people are eligible to vote.

Voters are set to elect 286 lawmakers for a four-year term in Colombia's bicameral Congress, which is made up of 183 lawmakers in the lower chamber, the House of Representatives, and 103 lawmakers in the upper chamber, or Senate.

More than 126,000 law enforcement officers are expected to be deployed across the country throughout election day.

Election a barometer of success of Colombia's leftist coalition

The election, which is taking place amid rising crime, economic challenges, a tense security situation and deep political polarization, is being seen as a barometer of how voters feel about Gustavo Petro's left-wing coalition, Historic Pact.

Recent opinion polls show the alliance is once again in the lead, but it is unlikely to achieve a majority on its own, with analysts predicting another highly fragmented parliament.

Several parties that initially supported Petro have since distanced themselves from his government, which has seen ambitious health, labor and pension reforms met with resistance in Congress.

Last June, his potential conservative rival, senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, was shot at a campaign event in the capital, Bogota, and later succumbed to his injuries. 

Traditional parties such as the liberals and conservatives have often acted as kingmakers in Colombian politics in the past. 

Colombians also choose candidates for presidential elections in May

Alongside the congressional vote, Colombians can also vote for presidential candidates in "inter-party consultations" —  comparable to American primary elections — ahead of presidential elections in May.

According to the constitution, President Petro himself — Colombia's first left-wing head of state — will not be allowed to run again. But his party colleague Ivan Cepeda is currently leading the polls in a close race with the far-right's Abelardo de la Espriella.

Cepeda and de la Espriella are not on the ballots in the primaries, which are optional.

The election is also set to be followed closely abroad, with observers looking for clues as to Colombia's future foreign policy.

Under Petro, Bogota has taken a more independent course, leading to occasional tensions with the United States, traditionally one of Colombia's closest partners, and repeated disagreements with US President Donald Trump on issues such as migration and drugs.

Following the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the president of neighboring Venezuela, by US special forces in January, tensions between Bogota and Washington temporarily escalated before both sides later sought to return to more pragmatic cooperation.

After Sunday's parliamentary election, the presidential election is scheduled to take place on May 31. 

A runoff vote takes place on June 21 if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round.

Editor's note: Miguel Uribe Londono is the father of the late opposition presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay. We made an error in the previous version of the article. We regret the mistake.

 Edited by: Roshni Majumdar