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Colombian congress bars presidential re-election; 70% of public opinion supports decision

Saturday, June 6th 2015 - 07:48 UTC
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The move reinstates the presidential term limit in place before 2005, when Colombia adopted a constitutional reform backed by Uribe The move reinstates the presidential term limit in place before 2005, when Colombia adopted a constitutional reform backed by Uribe
Santos, an Uribe protégé who broke with his one-time mentor after succeeding him in 2010, was re-elected last year but vowed to do away with the practice. Santos, an Uribe protégé who broke with his one-time mentor after succeeding him in 2010, was re-elected last year but vowed to do away with the practice.

Colombia’s Congress has voted to bar presidents from seeking re-election, a move backed by President Juan Manuel Santos that undoes a law passed by his predecessor and rival Alvaro Uribe. The decision also marks a difference with the ongoing Latin American trend of successive re-elections, when not unlimited.

 Opposition congresswoman Tatiana Cabello told reporters that lawmakers in the House of Representatives, after the eighth and final debate in both legislative houses, voted 90-10 in favor of prohibiting presidents from seeking re-election.

The move reinstates the presidential term limit in place before 2005, when Colombia adopted a constitutional reform backed by Uribe that enabled him to seek a second four-year term the following year.

Santos, an Uribe protégé who broke with his one-time mentor after succeeding him in 2010, was himself re-elected last year but vowed to do away with the practice.

The decision to allow presidential re-election, approved by Congress, became controversial after lawmaker Yidis Medina in 2008 said that officials in Uribe’s government had bought his vote. Colombia’s Supreme Court later sentenced Medina to 48 months in prison for participating in bribery.

Uribe’s opponents consider that the 2005 reform was processed simply because of Uribe’s alleged popularity, and that, institutionally the re-election figure was inconvenient for the country, because it leads to abuses of power and potential authoritarianism.

At the time Uribe argued that his continuation as president and the consolidation of his policies was vital for Colombia’s future.

The new measure, adopted on Wednesday night as part of a broader package of government reforms, was approved over objections from the opposition Democratic Centre party led by Uribe, who is today a senator.

The party backed a rival proposal that would have allowed presidents to return to office after sitting out at least four years.

Surveys found more than 70% of Colombians backed the proposal to ban presidential re-election altogether.

Categories: Politics, Latin America.

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  • gordo1

    It would be good if the arse lickers in the Congress of their neighbour, Ecuador, would do the same and get rid of Correa, who is just not fit to govern.

    Jun 06th, 2015 - 03:40 pm 0
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