Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Caqueta (Agenzia Fides) – Elections were held yesterday, Sunday, March 14, in Colombia. While the count of the votes is still taking place, the national press has reported the results in advance: the U Party has obtained 22.13% of the vote, followed by the Conservative Party with 21.32%, the Liberal Party with 16.22%, the PIN with 7.92%, and the Radical Change Party with the 7.91%. This means that if the final data confirm these partial data, the Uribe coalition would retain the majority in the Senate and take almost the majority in Congress, along with the Conservatives. The general disinformation of the vote and also the general lack of information for those who were to vote has been denounced by several parties.
The Director of the Election Observation Mission (MOE), Alejandra Barrios, complained in a press conference that "there are two types of actions that may significantly affect the electoral process”: primarily the issues of public safety, and secondly, the electoral offenses, such as buying and selling of votes.
In this respect, the Bishops of Florencia and San Vicente del Caguán-Puerto Leguizamo, jurisdictions that form a part of the Department of Caquetá, had expressly asked the inhabitants of this area of southern Colombia to "vote well,” without negotiating the vote or accept benefits in exchange for voting for a particular candidate.
It is in our hands to propose new and decent ways, not negotiating the vote, not accepting favors or gifts. You must vote well and choose well. Negotiating the vote is negotiating one's conscience and this fosters corruption. One must properly choose the government program, to not repeat the same mistakes," said Bishop Jorge Alberto Ossa Soto of Florencia and Bishop Francisco Javier Correa Munera of San Vicente del Caguán-Puerto Leguízamo, in a declaration of March 12. "Do not negotiate on your vote. Vote cleanly. Vote freely. Vote in a worthy manner. Think carefully and vote. Remember that we cannot vote for those who spread doctrines against the dignity of the person or against life," the bishops say in their text. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 15/03/2010)
