Adults in Colombia believe Álvaro Uribe wants to run for president in 2010, according to a poll by Datexco. 79 per cent of respondents agree with this assessment, while 16 per cent disagree.
Uribe has been Colombia’s president since August 2002. In the May 2006 election, he won a new four-year term with 62.2 per cent of all cast ballots. He was able to run again after pro-Uribe lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the Constitutional Court officially sanctioned a plan to allow immediate presidential re-election. After issuing its ruling, the court warned that the clause was not valid for the unlimited re-election of the head of state. Uribe would require a new constitutional amendment to run again.
Uribe has been commended for improving the economy and for his security policies, especially his hard stand against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a radical left-wing armed group. However, his administration is currently under great strain. More than 70 lawmakers—85 per cent of whom are Uribe supporters—are being investigated for alleged ties with right-wing, illegal paramilitary armies, and 31 of them are either detained or already serving time in jail. The accusations range from receiving the backing of war lords for electoral benefits, to directly participating in select killings and massacres for political or economic purposes. Uribe’s first cousin and close political ally, Mario Uribe, is one of the lawmakers tied to the scandal.
On August 20, the Colombian Senate voted 56-2 to approve holding a nationwide referendum on whether presidents can rule for three consecutive terms. The proposal needs to be ratified by the House of Representatives, and then be submitted to the Constitutional Court for review. Uribe has not clearly stated whether he wants to run for office again.
Earlier this month, former Colombian president César Gaviria expressed dismay at the possibility of a new term for Uribe, saying, "The country does not need strongmen who foster the escapist view that only one man can be the source for the solution of every single problem." (Angus Reid Global Monitor)
