A European Union observation mission said Tuesday that Colombia’s presidential vote count has been transparent and efficient, countering President Gustavo Petro’s repeated claims of irregularities after results did not favor his preferred successor.
The independent mission deployed about 150 observers for Sunday’s runoff election, which showed conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella leading by roughly 1 percentage point, or nearly 251,000 votes, with nearly all ballots counted. The mission also monitored May’s first-round vote.
"We have not observed any irregularities in the counting process,” mission chief Esteban Gonzalez Pons said, adding that Colombian electoral law appeared to have been followed.
Petro and his ally, progressive candidate Ivan Cepeda, have challenged the outcome. Petro also alleged fraud after Cepeda failed to win outright in last month’s election.
Cepeda said Sunday his campaign would challenge results from more than 30,000 voting stations and would not recognize the outcome until a recount is completed. Electoral authorities are expected to finish the recount this week.
More than 26 million people voted in the runoff, a record turnout. Of those, more than 426,000 chose a third, "none of the above” option on the ballot, while about 29,000 cast blank votes.
The polarized election was shaped by fears of renewed internal conflict. Both candidates offered sharply different approaches to curbing violence that has long plagued Colombia, including car bombings, kidnappings, disappearances and forced displacement.
The winner of Sunday’s vote will begin a four-year term Aug. 7.
Tensions rose during the campaign period, with frequent accusations of fraud, vote buying and intimidation, along with disputes over the vote-tallying software. Petro also criticized the system used to count ballots.
"It surprises us, and continues to surprise us, that the president of the republic is denouncing irregularities that the candidates haven’t denounced,” Gonzalez Pons told reporters after presenting the mission’s preliminary report. "It seems pointless to point this out, but he is not a candidate.”
The mission is also monitoring the recount process and is expected to publish a final report in September.
Marta Bolívar, legal representative for Cepeda and Petro’s political movement, told The Associated Press (AP) that their complaints cover multiple aspects of the electoral process, from vote counting to alleged voter coercion.
The movement requested a recount of votes cast by Colombians abroad, but it was denied.
"We consider this measure unconstitutional because it is the responsibility of the National Electoral Council to conduct an international recount,” Bolívar said.
Meanwhile, de la Espriella, confident of victory, said Tuesday he is assembling his Cabinet. He also said he plans to add Colombia to the Trump-backed "Shield of the Americas,” a coalition of countries aimed at cracking down on criminal groups in Latin America.