San Salvador, February 13 (RHC-teleSUR) -- El Salvador’s leftist party looks set to win upcoming local and legislative elections, according to a new poll released Thursday.

The survey, taken by El Salvador's Institute of Public Opinion of the Central American University, shows the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) party leading in the polls against the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) in the upcoming March 1 municipal and legislative elections.

Najib Bukele, the FMLN mayoral candidate of the capital of San Salvador, will win nearly 50 percent of the vote according the poll, 20 points ahead of his opponent, Edwin Zamora of the ARENA party.

Nationwide, among those planning to vote, the FMLN are said to have about 35.7 percent of the vote, compared to 27.4 percent for ARENA.

The survey also reveals that the FMLN parliamentary candidates have 28.9 percent support, more than 5 points ahead of ARENA, which is polling with 23.4 percent.