MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Former Colombian defence minister closer to becoming successor of Uribe

Juan Manuel Santos announced he will be the ruling coalition candidate for the coming presidential election

Colombia’s former Defence minister Juan Manuel Santos said that he will be the presidential candidate for the ruling (Unity) party in the coming May 30 election if President Alvaro Uribe is barred from bidding for a second consecutive re-election.

“The decision has been taken. There’s nothing to discuss about”, said Santos in an interview with Bogotás main broadcasting station Radio Caracol pointing out that the Social party of National Unity or the U, “has clearly defined its course of action”.

Nevertheless Santos who last week was named chairman of the U party, recalled that if Uribe is finally cleared, through a referendum, to run again for the presidency, “he will be the candidate”, and that’s it because “the party’s grass-roots have so decided”.

Uribe can only bid for a third consecutive mandate if the Constitutional Court declares the Referendum bill viable, already cleared by Congress, and if the Colombian electorate finally approves the constitutional amendment. The high court has sixty days (since last February 3) since magistrate Humberto Sierra made the official presentation to his peers.

According to Bogotá’s daily El Tiempo in his presentation Judge Sierra was contrary to the referendum bill alleging that the financial cap for collecting signatures in favour of the referendum had been surpassed plus the fact several legislative irregularities in the drafting of the bill, changing the wording and illegal summons of additional sessions to address and discuss the matter, had been committed.

In this context, Santos said the ideal would be for the ruling coalition to reach the first round of presidential elections with an only candidate. “It’s better to anticipate events and begin conversations on the issue”, added the former Defence minister who resigned in May 2009, to comply with electoral rules and be able to run for the presidency if Uribe is finally barred from re-re-election.

Santos said that besides the Conservative party, which belongs to the coalition, he would like to include in the talks other parties so as to ensure that Colombia won’t be exposed “to a sudden change or policy and much less step back”.

President Uribe’s motto for his administration and coming election has been and is “democracy with security”. Colombia faces the double (allied) challenge of Marxist oriented guerrillas and drug traffickers, which Uribe with US aid has been successful in turning back, although not defeat definitively.

Uribe’s strong fist policy has had ample support among Colombians and figures among the best ranked presidents in the continent together with Brazil’s Lula da Silva and Chile’s Michelle Bachelet.