The Liberal Party, one of Colombia’s main opposition parties, will be actively seeking a coalition partner to jointly try to beat the coalition of parties supporting President Alvaro Uribe in the 2010 elections.
The Liberals had their annual congress this weekend where they debated the party’s approach towards the 2010 elections of both Congress and the Presidency.
The party’s presidential candidate, Rafael Pardo, was given all authority to seek coalitions with other parties to create a block that could lead to a majority in Congress.
Pardo will have to choose to either make concessions to the socialist Polo Democratico or the conservative Cambio Radical. A three-party coalition was ruled out by Cambio radical leader German Vargas Lleras, who considers a coalition with Polo Democratico impossible.
Pardo called on supporters not to attend a possible referendum on allowing Uribe to run for a third term. A low turnout at the referendum is the opposition’s main opportunity to avoid facing the popular Uribe in the Presidential elections as polls continue to indicate he would win the presidential elections if he is allowed to take part.
The Liberal Party faces a long road towards the elections as the primaries of both the Liberals and Polo Democratico were barely attended by voters.