Uribe coalition wins Colombian congressional election

Mar 15, 2010, 13:44 GMT

Bogota - Parties backing outgoing conservative President Alvaro Uribe won a majority of seats in Colombia's congressional elections, results showed Monday.

The outcome of Sunday's vote was seen as a boost for the chances of Juan Manuel Santos, a former defence minister who is hoping to succeed Uribe in presidential elections scheduled for May 30.

Uribe is banned by the constitution from running for a third term. Santos described the outcome of the congressional vote as a victory 'for the forces of President Alvaro Uribe.'

More than 29 million Colombians were eligible to cast ballots in an election that was relatively peaceful in a country scarred by a decades-long guerrilla war.

Some 237,000 soldiers were on duty to provide security at the more than 10,000 polling stations, where nearly 2,700 candidates were contesting 102 Senate seats and 166 lower house seats.

With 78 per cent of the vote counted, Uribe's U party won 24.69 per cent in the Senate election, followed by the Conservative Party on 21.84 per cent. Two other conservative parties polled a total of 15.59 per cent, giving the pro-Uribe camp more than 62 per cent of the vote.

The opposition Liberal Party won 16.39 per cent, the left alliance Alternative Democrat Pole (PDA) 7.39 per cent and the Greens 4.3 per cent.

The poor showing by the left was a setback for their presidential candidate, Gustavo Petro, a former member so the left-wing guerrilla movement M-19.

Analysts said a scandal involving links between legislators from the Uribe camp and right-wing paramilitary groups did not appear to have harmed the government parties in the vote.

Some 100 international observers, chiefly from the Organization of American States (OAS) were on hand to monitor Sunday's voting.

The vote took place a day after fighting in the south-western district of Caucu between government forces and guerrillas of the Armed Forces Revolutionary of Colombia (FARC). On soldier was killed and two were wounded in the clash.