MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uribe’s re-election bid for a third term supported by Colombia’s ombudsman

The Colombian president’s strong hand policies have the guerrillas on the run

Colombia's Constitutional Court should approve a referendum to allow President Alvaro Uribe to run for re-election, the country's ombudsman said on Tuesday, which could open the way for a third consecutive mandate bid in the coming May presidential elections.

The Inspector General's recommendation is nonbinding and Colombia’s Constitutional Court still has the final word on whether to allow a referendum on changing the law to clear the way for Uribe to run for office.

“The inspector general's office urges the Constitutional Court to declare the law constitutional,” the ombudsman's office said in a statement posted on its website.

Uribe for his “democratic security” policy against leftist rebels has yet to say whether he will run. But the bid to change the constitution again to allow a second Uribe re-election is drawing fire from critics, business organizations and the Catholic Church that say it would undermine Colombia's democracy.

Constitutional magistrates now have up to two months to make a ruling on whether the re-election would be legal, but time would be very tight for electoral authorities to organize a referendum before the May presidential vote.

First elected in 2002, Uribe was re-elected in 2006 after his allies pushed through a constitutional amendment lifting a ban on a second consecutive term.

Opinion polls show Uribe remains hugely popular with Colombians who are grateful to him for helping reduce once common kidnappings, bombings and rebel attacks.

But his second term has been dogged by the economic downturn and scandals from probes into soldiers killing civilians to the arrest of lawmaker allies for cooperating with outlawed militias involved in drug trafficking and massacres.

Furthermore Uribe’s bid for a third term is not seen with good eyes in the rest of the continent, mainly Brazil and by President Barack Obama’s administration. Washington has been Colombia’s main ally and supporter in combating the guerrillas and the drug cartels.