It profited from the recognition of Mockus and former mayors Enrique Peñaloza and Lucho Garzon to gain two seats in the house of Bogota and perhaps a third if the final vote tally is favorable to this group.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Party managed to re-elect Simon Gaviria, one of Colombia´s most popular house members, and to secure another two seats in the House for Bogota.

Despite running Bogota´s local government, the socialist Polo Democratico Party only managed to secure 3 out of 18 As the vote count ends for House of Representatives races across Colombia, it is looking like Bogota´s presence in the House will be as diverse as the city itself.

Bogotá has 18 seats in Colombia´s House of Representatives and the city´s interests will be defended by Congressmen from six different parties ranging from the neo-liberal Partido de la U to the progressive and environmentally friendly Green Party.

seats in the House for Bogota. 

One of its representatives will be human rights defender Ivan Cepeda who directs the movement for victims of state crimes.

Cepeda, who ran a low cost campaign relying completely on opinion votes -- rather than on  vote buying schemes -- is expected to advance the national human rights agenda rather than to focus on Bogota issues like financing for the metro or a suburban rail system.

Nevertheless, public transport issues will be high on the agenda for most Bogota Congressmen.

Green party Congressmen and women as well as members from the Pro-Uribe National Unity Party -- or Partido de la U -- have said that they will tackle environmental problems affecting Bogota such as the administration of water sources in the eastern hills and sand mining in Bogota´s periphery.

The Partido de la U secured 7 of Bogota´s 18 seats in the house, the most for any party in Bogota. 

The U party´s victory suggests that while voters in Colombia´s capital city have a diverse set of political preferences, they are not alien to national tendencies in this election.  Colombians voted mostly for right wing parties that presented themselves as the guardians of President Uribe´s security policies.