Colombian Liberal Party leader Rafael Pardo officially announced Wednesday that his party will join the coalition of President-elect Juan Manuel Santos to form part of the Partido de la U leader’s “government of national unity.”
Pardo proposed joining the coalition to Liberal lawmakers, who voted in favor of the move. According to Semana, of 37 Liberal congressmen, only one voted against accepting Santos’ public invitation to join his government.
The Liberal lawmakers committed to push for unsuccessful presidential candidate Pardo’s campaign proposals. If Santos chooses, some of the Liberals may be appointed as ministers of his cabinet.
Liberal Party senators on Tuesday officially agreed to join Santos coalition.
While campaigning for the presidency, Santos proposed the creation of a government of “national unity” that would include parties that under Uribe had been in the opposition. Pardo refused to make an official decision on an alliance until after Colombia’s second round presidential election.
Santos on Sunday was elected to be the 2010-2014 president by the Colombian people with 69% of the vote, defeating his opponent, the Green Party’s Antanas Mockus, who only received 28%.
Santos will be sworn into office on August 7.