MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President Uribe posted for an easy re-election next May

The six coalition parties which support Colombian president Alvaro Uribe managed a comfortable majority in Sundays' congressional elections which forecasts a significant boost for the president's re-election bid next May and his promised fiscal and political reforms in his second four year mandate.

Even when half of the Colombian electorate stayed at home and some minor attacks were reported in spite of heavy security measures and massive force display, Sunday's results were hailed in Government House, Palacio Nariño.

President Uribe, who's engaged in a full war against Marxist oriented guerrillas partly financed by the cocaine lords, had called on Colombians to give him the chance to implement economic and political reforms without obstacles in a second term.

"Your vote is a clear signal in defence of democracy", said President Uribe.

With vote counting almost over Monday midday, the opposition Liberal Party looses control of Congress with the six party ruling alliance of President Uribe (Unity Party; Conservative; Radical; Alas; Team Colombia and Democratic Colombia) gaining a majority both in the Lower and Upper houses ensuring strong legislative support, in the event of victory next May.

Mr. Uribe's coalition is estimated will have 65 of the 102 seats in the Senate and 90 of the 166 in the Lower House.

A total 26.5 million Colombians were registered to vote with the government displaying an estimated 200.000 police and military forces on Sunday.

Following on this results Uribe, one of Washington's closest allies in South America and a strong supporter of free trade, appears headed for victory in May.

The president's position was bolstered by a 2003 electoral reform that resulted in the new legislature being less divided among multiple small parties.

Pro-Uribe forces have been riding on the wave of popular support for the president, who has escalated military actions against the four-decade-old left wing insurgency.

Actually Uribe's bid to stay in office through 2010 is unsettling for the guerrillas and drug business that have made several attempts on his life, beginning with his first presidential campaign in 2002.

Monday night with the results confirming his strong electoral position President Uribe called on the main guerrilla group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, to begin a "serious and urgent peace process" as a majority of Colombians had shown by voting and supporting democracy.

"I call upon FARC to review its conduct, to analyze the democratic spirit of all Colombians and to consider the possibility of beginning a serious and urgent peace process", said Uribe.

Uribe approval rating fluctuates between 53 and 68%, according to public opinion polls, mainly because of his determined counterinsurgency policy; demobilization of right-wing paramilitary groups and a free trade agreement with the United States.

Sunday results also confirmed President Uribe's rivals for next May presidential election: the Liberal Party will post Horacio Serpa, and the Democratic Alternative Pole, Carlos Gaviria.