Coalition party Cambio Radical Monday announced it “unitedly’ continues
ot resist the 2010 re-election of Colombian President Álvaro Uribe.
Instead they support their leader German Vargas Lleras who unofficially has been campaigning for the Presidency.
Earlier Monday, a number of senators of the party announced that they would vote in favor of changing of text of the referendum held in 2008 to make it possible for Uribe to run for the 2010 election. The referendum was wrongly formulated, making it only possible for Uribe to run for the 2014 Presidency if approved.
But after a meeting with Vargas Lleras, the congressman stopped their rebellion and “unitedly” will vote as one party in the next vote on the referendum demanding the re-election of Uribe.
Cambio Radical says it will continue to support the 2014 possibility for the president to be re-elected.
Varges Lleras’ party is under increasing pressure, because of the ambitions of its leader. Vargas Lleras left Congress months ago and started an unofficial campaign. He is touring Colombia to become known and increase his chances when other prominent politicians start entering the presidential race too.
Because of Varas Lleras’ personal ambition and his party’s rejection of the 2010 re-election of Uribe, the party now says it is persecuted by the Government. It has lost seven high posts within the government already.
If Cambio Radical decided to completely leave the coalition, the Uribe administration will be left with a minority in Congress.