Independents of Left and Right Triumph in Congressional Elections

Uribe Supporter Tops in Senate, Former Guerrilla Close Behind

Results for the 102 Senate seats show that independents of both the left and the right, including former guerrillas of the M-19 and supporters of hardline independent presidential candidate Alvaro Uribe Velez gained the highest vote totals. With more than 94% of the Senate vote counted, Luis Alfredo Ramos, an Uribe supporter and former Mayor of Medellin, is the top vote-getter. Former M-19 guerrilla Antonio Navarro Wolf is less than 4,000 votes behind.

House Led by Former Army General

The top vote-getter in the 166-member House of Representatives is an independent and former Army General of Cali's Third Brigade who won fame for liberating people kidnapped by the ELN in Valle del Cauca province. In third place, according to RCN News, is a former member of the M-19 guerillas.

Turnout at 41%

Turnout reached 41 percent, with more than 10 of 24 million eligible voters coming to the polls. In the Senate, votes "en blanco", an option roughly equivalent to "None of the Above", accounted for more than the top two candidates put together.

Half of Senate Turns Over

Some 50 percent of Senate seats are reported to have changed hands. Bogota daily El Tiempo reports that at least 21 members of the new Senate are supporters of Uribe Velez, who is polling 60% in the presidential race. Liberal Party presidential candidate Horacio Serpa, who is running second with 24%, claims to be forming a coaliton of as many as 40 senators to resist a "total war" financed by taking money away from social spending.

Minimal Damage Done by FARC

150,000 police and soldiers mobilized to protect the elections, which passed with few incidents. Of Colombia's almost 1100 muncipalities, only 15 were unable to vote, mostly due to actions by the FARC, including some cases where FARC guerrillas burned ballots.

Read More, in English and Spanish

Read about the elections in English from NarcoNews, the BBC, the AP, the Miami Herald. Coverage in Spanish from El Tiempo, El Espectador, RCN and Caracol. Caracol appears to have the latest numbers on the Senate and House of Representatives elections. Also from El Tiempo: Senate and House of Representatives.