As the 2014 elections approach, a number of key ministers from the cabinet of Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos are expected to hand in their resignation to allow themselves to take part in next year’s electoral poll.
Earlier this week, Agriculture Minister Juan Camilo Restrepo announced his resignation and rumors began to emerge about the exit of Housing Minister German Vargas, a veteran politician who had taken part in the 2010 presidential elections, but lost in the first round.
The latest to be mentioned is Finance Minister Sergio Diaz-Granados who radio station Blu tipped to become Santos’ campaign manager and possible running mate if the sitting president decides to run for office a second time.
According to newspaper El Espectador, another possibility is that Diaz-Granados will become the new president of Santos’ U Party which in the past three years has seen strong divisions as the party split into two factions; one supporting Santos and one supporting former President Alvaro Uribe, who increasingly has distanced himself from his successor.
Neither Diaz-Granados nor Vargas have said anything about their ambitions for the near future or their electoral aspirations.
For members of government — minus the sitting president — to take part in presidential elections, Colombian electoral law dictates they resign a year before the elections from any public office they may hold to prevent the politicians from using public funds and their public stature for electoral gain.