Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said Wednesday that the delay in electing a new prosecutor general threatens the country’s democratic institutions and the rule of law.
“Today the court has not elected a prosecutor; that is not good for the rule of law,” President Uribe said in an interview.
Uribe said that the ten month delay in appointing a new official would hurt any institution.
“I think it [the delay] does a great disservice to justice, regardless of the magnificent qualities of [interim prosecutor general] Dr Mendoza Diago,” said the president.
The Supreme Court postponed the election of a new prosecutor general for a seventh time on Tuesday, after failing to reach the required two-thirds majority.
Uribe revealed in the interview that last year he received an “arrogant and demanding” letter from the president of the Supreme Court which “could do great harm to the relations of institutions” in Colombia.
The letter asked the president to provide the court with a candidate shortlist, which Uribe insisted he sent “by the required date not of the constitution, but of the president of the Supreme Court.”
Uribe said that he hoped that the Supreme Court meeting would be convened by Monday so that he could appoint a new prosecutor general.