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."