Colombian Green Party presidential candidate Antanas Mockus said Friday that the proposed second round election alliance with left-wing party Polo Democratico failed because the two parties disagreed over the direction Colombia’s foreign policy should take.
Mockus told media following a meeting with Polo Democratico leader Gustavo Petro that the Green Party was not prepared to compromise its foreign policy in order to form an alliance with the left-wing party.
The former Bogota mayor said that the Green Party has decided not to form an alliance with any political party, but are prepared to incorporate other parties ideas into their ideology. Mockus said that the Greens will continue to seek an alliance Colombia’s citizens.
Mockus said that the Greens will continue to seek an alliance Colombia’s citizens.
The Green candidate recognized that his party and Petro’s shared the same desire to combat mafia infiltration of the state, to care for victims of violence, to respect the Justice and Peace process and to return land to displaced Colombians
Mockus said that the decision not to form an alliance with Polo Democratico allowed both parties to maintain the policies they felt strongly about, and ensured that neither party compromised their defining ideology or identity.
Mockus said that although there was to be no “agreement of cooperation” as Petro had proposed, he invited Polo supporters to vote for him in Colombia’s June 20 second round presidential election.
In regard to Petro’s call for Polo supporters’ abstention in the elections, Mockus said that the comment was an emotional reaction of the ilk that one always regrets later. He said he hope that Petro would change his mind.
Polo Democratico president Clara Lopez confirmed that her party will not support any candidate in the second round vote.
Mockus won 21.47% of the vote in Sunday’s first round presidential elections. Petro, with 9.16%, came fourth and is now out of the running. Partido de la U candidate Juan Manuel Santos won the round with 46.57% of the vote, meaning that it would be wise for the Green Party to form an alliance if they are to have any chance of winning the second round runoff against Santos on Sunday June 20.
In terms of foreign policy, Petro has previously said that if elected he would renegotiate Colombia’s military pact with the U.S. that allows the North American nation access to seven bases around Colombia. Mockus, on the other hand, said he would maintain the pact.