Colombian president calls for transparency, participation as legislative elections kick off

BOGOTA, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for electoral transparency as legislative elections kicked off Sunday, urging citizens to go out and vote.

Before voting at a polling station in the Congress building, Petro called on electoral authorities to allow the state to audit elections in the future, rather than outsourcing audits to a private company.

He also highlighted the role police play in ensuring a fair and just election, adding that the National Police has seized over 4 billion pesos (over a million U.S. dollars) which would have been used to "buy the poor."

"It is a tiny amount compared to what we know," he said, warning that electoral crimes are mainly committed by those involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining, and other "mafias that take over institutions."

The president also called for the participation of Colombian people as observers to safeguard the election transparency across the country, emphasizing that "a democratic culture" and "a democratic soul" should be the premise of "having democratic institutions."

More than 41 million Colombians are eligible to vote at some 13,746 voting centers throughout the country and abroad.

In addition to electing members of Congress, voters will be able to choose presidential candidates from primaries held by the three main political blocs representing the right, center, and left wings. ■