MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombian president Uribe's reelection advances

A majority of Colombians would vote to give President Alvaro Uribe a second four-year term if the constitution were reformed to allow re-election, according to a poll released Tuesday in Bogotá.

The telephone survey was conducted among 1,200 adult citizens in Colombia's five biggest cities showing over 70% approval of a second term for Mr. Uribe.

A quarter of those polled said they would not re-elect Uribe, a 51-year-old lawyer who has enjoyed an approval rating averaging 70% since taking office on August, 2002.

The remaining 4,8 % did not know or did not answer the survey, which was carried out by the Political Science Institute and released by the office of the president.

A similar poll conducted last April among 2,000 people found 72% support for Mr. Uribe's re-election, with 22% opposing the initiative.

Asked in the April poll who would most oppose Uribe's re-election, the answers were as follows: guerrillas, 40.8%; the Liberal Party, 16.1%; Colombians at large, 13.6%; and Congress, 11.8%.

Mr. Uribe's term ends in 2006, but Colombia's Congress is currently considering a constitutional amendment opening the way for presidential re-election.

Mr. Uribe, with strong military support from Washington, has been unyielding with guerrilla organizations and drug lords who dominate almost 20% of Colombian territory. Contrary to previous elected Colombian governments Mr. Uribe's administration is demanding guerrilla organizations disarmament, before any resumption of negotiations begins.