Pubdate: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 Source: New York Times (NY) Copyright: 2000 The New York Times Company Contact: 229 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 Fax: (212) 556-3622 Website: http://www.nytimes.com/ Forum: http://forums.nytimes.com/comment/ Author: Juan Forero COLOMBIA HOLDS ELECTIONS, FOR THE MOST PART PEACEABLY BOGOTA, Colombia, - Colombians voted under heavy military security today in municipal and provincial elections that were seen as a test of the government's ability to carry out a crucial democratic exercise in a country racked by conflict. There was isolated violence. In the coca-growing province of Putumayo, the scene of weeks of recent fighting between leftist rebels and paramilitary groups, voting was sparse, apparently because of rebel roadblocks. Hundreds of miles north in Antioquia, government soldiers clashed with fighters from the country's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, disrupting voting in two towns. In the town of Leiva in the southern province of Narino, rebels blocked people from voting for provincial offices. And in the demilitarized zone in the province of Caqueta, which the government ceded to the Revolutionary Armed Forces in the hope of furthering peace talks, voting in five municipalities took place for the first time under formal rebel control. The government declared the election a success, though, with the relatively peaceful voting in much of the country characterized as a repudiation of violence. Although the official turnout was not available this evening, authorities said they expected to find that up to 50 percent of the 23 million eligible voters had cast ballots, a typical showing here. Colombians voted for governors, mayors, provincial delegates and town councilors in all 1,093 municipalities, with 145,000 candidates all told. "The attitude of the citizens was exemplary," said Ivan Duque, the country's elections commissioner. The elections came at an important juncture for Colombia. The country is trying to project an image of stability as it embarks on a $7.5 billion program to cut coca production and curtail rebel influence, a plan that is heavily financed by the United States and international lending institutions. After voting in the capital's central plaza, President Andres Pastrana declared the vote "an important message for the peace process." "It says to the insurgency that Colombians want to strengthen our electoral process, that we want to strengthen our democracy," he said. More than 50,000 police officers and 100,000 soldiers protected polling places and roadways in more troubled regions. Fifty international observers were also on hand. "I was worried, as usual, because subversive groups always carry out threats during elections," said one voter in Bogota, Luis Fernando Vanegas, 60. "But the government has the armed forces taking control and making sure there's public order." The weeks leading up to the election, however, were chaotic. Rebels carried out stinging attacks against the military and the police. Eight congressmen and local politicians were kidnapped in recent days, most by paramilitary gunmen. The country has also watched in horror as three people taken captive earlier this year in a mass kidnapping by the National Liberation Army, Colombia's second-largest rebel group, died in captivity. Today, the rebels announced they would release 21 other captives on Monday. The government had guaranteed that this year's elections would not be a repeat of the last nationwide elections, in 1997, when the largest rebel group vowed to sabotage elections and then carried out a campaign of intimidation and violence. In recent months, instead of wrecking the elections, the group embarked on a shadowy strategy to influence them by giving tacit approval to some municipal candidates while opposing others. Dozens of candidates dropped out. In addition, 36 candidates were slain, 6 by the Revolutionary Armed Forces and two other rebel movements, 10 by paramilitary gunmen and 20 by unknown groups, said Maj. Gen. Tobias Duran, chief of operations for the national police. "The truth is that the candidates, some of them, have said they've been pressured," General Duran said. "And in some situations involving mayors, the armed groups want part of the budget for what they call aid for their revolutionary movement." Still, throughout Colombia, millions of people voted without incident. In Bogota, streets were closed to traffic as families made a festive day of the elections. Children scooted along on bicycles or in-line skates as street vendors hawked sodas and barbecued chicken and corn. "This is a day of fun," said Ernesto Zapata, 21, after casting his ballot. "Everyone is having a good day. Everyone is out in the street."