A new party created by three ambitious former Bogotá mayors may be the most refreshing political news since 2002. If they work well together, the so-called "trillizos" could dramatically transform Colombian politics.
Not too long ago, the promising "quintuples" project disintegrated, dashing all hopes for a strong alternative coalition for the 2010 presidential elections. The five independent candidates who made up the delicate quintuples alliance - Sergio Fajardo, Antanas Mockus, Enrique Peñalosa, Lucho Garzon, and Martha Lucia Ramirez - failed to come to an agreement about a shared political future. Before long, Fajardo and Ramirez began to move forward with their individual campaigns.
However, without the support of the three Bogota mayors, Ramirez and Fajardo struggled to convince the Colombian public of their ability to lead the country. Ramirez of the Conservative Party has never been a realistic contender for the Presidency and might not even make an impact in ongoing political debates. Fajardo, a far more promising independent candidate, is simply confirming many voters' worries about his inexperience in handling pressing national issues. The former Medellin mayor's long-awaited security plan, presented earlier this month, was worryingly vague. Most notably, it failed to even mention the issue of new paramilitary and drug gangs, which directly affects his home city.
With the virtual disappearance of the quintuples candidates, Colombia's attention returned to the same old polarizing political issues, namely Uribe's re-election. Politics was again put on hold as the nation waited, yet again, for the President to make his decision.
For this very reason, the recent emergence of the "Trillizos" coalition is extremely opportune. Mockus, Garzon and Peñalosa, three innovative mayors credited with turning around Colombia's capital in the 1990's and early 2000's, declared this week that they would join forces to create a new political party. Rather than base a party on a shared ideology, the trillizos are looking to form a party around a shared commitment to transparent government.
The party will recruit promising politicians from all regions of Colombia known for their credibility and honesty. Its main political goals will be to improve the historically strained relationship between the citizenry and all branches and levels of the Colombian government and to reduce Colombia's crippling social inequality.
Perhaps most importantly, the trillizos openly refuse to become yet another 'alternative' group with vague proposals. They aspire to present viable solutions and not mere critiques of the political establishment. They won't simply call on the government to "address social issues", but instead will form concrete detailed plans to improve quality of life and economic conditions in Colombia's towns and cities.
The trillizos seem ready for such a challenge. Already, they are showing much more cohesion and harmony than the quintuples coalition ever did by agreeing to an intra-party primary election to decide on a single presidential candidate. Further, while all three are veteran politicians from Colombia's capital, they bring a wide range of experiences and success stories to the coalition.
Mockus is a mathematician and philosopher of Lithuanian descent famous for greatly reducing homicide rates and traffic accidents, instituting market-friendly social programs and reinvigorating Bogota's cultural life.
Peñalosa grew up in Bogota's wealthier neighborhoods, studied in the United States, and built his own political career from scratch. As Bogota mayor, he is best known for building and renovating parks and launching the widely-praised Transmilenio urban transit system.
Finally, the more left-leaning Garzon is a former union leader once affiliated with the opposition Democratic Pole party. He finished in third place in the 2002 presidential election. As Bogota mayor, Garzon focused his attention on the capital's poorest residents and, unusual for a former union leader, was known for working harmoniously with the national government.
What lies in store for the trillizos' new party? Looking toward the 2010 Presidential Elections, none of the three have a strong chance of winning. It would take nothing short of a political miracle for anyone, much less an alternative candidate, to challenge the Uribista coalition.
Looking beyond 2010, however, the possibilities are far more interesting. The three mayors are widely respected by honest politicians throughout Colombia and, with proper political maneuvering, could recruit a number of promising local leaders to join the new party. Together, the trillizos could gradually build support with proposals that directly address the most pressing concerns of Colombia's urban majority.
Most importantly, however, the trillizos seem destined to finally refresh Colombia's stagnant political debates. They are neither pro-Uribe, anti-Uribe or in a Fajardo-style indecisive limbo. They combine Fajardo's creativity with veteran political experience and concrete proposals.
For too long, Colombian politics has been cripplingly polarized. Let us hope that the trillizos can work together to make Colombia's government more credible, honest and effective. And who knows? After all the miracles they pulled off in Bogota, it may be too early to rule out a trillizo presidency in 2014.
