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)