Election fraud and violence on the rise in Colombia: Observers

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Election fraud and violence on the rise in Colombia: Observers
Wednesday, 17 August 2011 16:02
James Bargent

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The MOE report documented a 68% increase in violence targeting candidates. In 2007, the MOE registered 65 acts of violence. With 75 days remaining before the 2011 elections begin, there have already been a reported 109. However, the number of municipalities registered as at risk of violence has fallen from 576 to 447.

According to the MOE’s Claudia López, “in these elections we are finding that besides illegal armed groups such as the FARC and Bacrim (<paramilitary> criminal gangs), common criminals are also carrying out acts of violence against candidates and threatening and killing candidates as a form of interference in local politics.”

MOE claims there has also been a 67% rise in irregularities suggesting electoral fraud, such as unusually high or low voter participation or null votes. The report registered 544 municipalities at risk of fraud as opposed to 328 in 2007. The MOE’s research suggested that, unlike in previous elections, most of the fraud was not linked to armed groups but to politicians from mainstream political parties.

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The report also identified 241 municipalities that were a high risk of violence and fraud. Most of these municipalities are in the regions bordering Venezuela and Ecuador and along the pacific coast – all areas with major trafficking routes and a high presence of illegal armed groups.

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http://www.colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/18400-election-fraud-and-violence-on-the-rise.html

[gbscar]

1. Candidates hire criminals to intimidate opponents: Observers

Candidates hire criminals to intimidate opponents: Observers
Thursday, 18 August 2011 10:11
James Bargent

The Electoral Observation Mission’s (MOE) Claudia Lopez has blamed a large part of the electoral violence recorded by the organization on politicians and candidates.

“The candidates themselves are going to groups of common criminals or illegal armed groups to intimidate their opponents,” Lopez said in an interview with Caracol Radio.

According to Lopez, the MOE came to this conclusion after noting about half the incidences of violence came in areas where no illegal armed groups, such as the FARC, the ELN or neo-paramilitary groups, were present.

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The MOE report also suggested the 67% rise in electoral fraud was not necessarily related to the presence of armed groups. In the report’s conclusion, Lopez writes, “the principal agents of electoral fraud are not now the illegal armed groups. Electoral fraud can happen with or without drug traffickers, paramilitaries or guerrillas, but it can’t happen without the participation of certain candidates and political officials.”

http://www.colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/18413-candidates-hire-criminals-to-intimidate-opponents-observers.html