MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay’s junior opposition party does not discard coalition with Mujica

Pedro Bordaberry, Colorado Party presidential candidate

Uruguay’s opposition junior party presidential candidate did not discard a coalition or unity government with either of the two forces that have the best chances of winning next October’s elections.

As long “as we can reach agreements on certain initiatives to promote education, law and order, foreign affairs and fiscal policies, we are willing to be part of a coalition or unity government”, said Pedro Bordaberry, presidential candidate for the Liberal Colorado Party.

However he pointed out that “political decisions will not be in exchange for posts in government, and before reaching an agreement we must assess the political scenario and the government program of what ever party wins” in October, he added.

Bordaberry also called for an end to ideological confrontation and begin working in the solution of “real problems faced by Uruguay”.

“I believe this is a prospect we will have to face next year, leaving aside ideologies and sitting around a table to talk about problems and the best solutions. For that, much determination and patience will be needed, and that’s what we are working for”, said the former Tourism Minister.

“Coalition, unity, you name it, what we are talking about is the substance of the issues, because what matters is the country and addressing the challenges we also face”, said Bordaberry.

The Colorado party presidential hopeful is the son of a former elected president who supported the military coup in 1973, and is currently in home arrest for alleged crimes and human rights abuses committed during the time he was president.

In June 1976 the Uruguayan military consolidated power after defeating a strong urban guerrilla movement, identified as Tupamaros, and sacked Bordaberry Sr.

The two main candidates to become the next Uruguayan president are the incumbent Jose Mujica a former guerrilla leader whose Tupamaro insurgence movement in the sixties and seventies triggered the 1973 military coup and conservative Luis Alberto Lacalle a former elected president, 1990/1995 and head of the main opposition National party.

Given the Uruguayan electoral system the last Sunday of October the winning presidential hopeful must obtain 50% plus one of the votes. If not a run-off is scheduled a month later. Currently, public opinion polls indicate that the next president will be forced to the November run-off and if this is the case the 10 to 12% votes from the Colorado Party could play a crucial role.