Colombian Green Party leaders Enrique Peñalosa and Sergio Fajardo said in an interview with W Radio that their party is already looking towards next year’s local elections of mayors, governors and councilors, following the defeat of Green candidate Antanas Mockus in Sunday’s second round presidential election.
Fajardo, Mockus’ running mate, described the Greens as “a party of the 21st century” and said the political movement must reflect on what happened over the course of the 2010 presidential elections.
“There needs to be a reflection and a proposal created for each municipality and department… [The Green Party] cannot fade into history after such an exciting time,” Fajardo said, in an affirmation that his party will not vanish into obscurity following the elections, as has been the trend of many Colombian political parties.
Former Medellin mayor Fajardo ruled out running again for office in the central Colombian city, and reiterated that the Greens want “to be in politics and are in politics” nationwide.
Former Bogota mayor Peñalosa said that the Greens are “obsessed with doing a different kind of politics” and, because the party is a collective that “had a lot of strength and is very young,” needs to prepare for the elections next year.
Peñalosa congratulated election winner Juan Manuel Santos, and said he was interested in running for the Bogota mayorship in the future.
Mockus said in a separate interview with W Radio that no member of the Green Party will accept a position in Santos’ “government of national unity” because the party wishes to retain its independence.
In his acceptance speech Santos invited Mockus, the Greens and all other Colombian political movements to support his coalition.
Mockus confirmed Fajardo and Peñalosa’s announcement that the Greens will work towards winning offices in the local elections.
Mockus lost to Santos in Colombia’s second round presidential election on Sunday. The Green Party candidate won 27.52% of the vote to Santos’ 69.06%.
