Colombia’s Conservative Party will not nominate a presidential
candidate for the 2010 elections, but support the referendum needed to
re-elect President Alvaro Uribe, party officials announced.
Conservative Jorge Humberto Mantilla confirmed to Radio W that the party decided to postpone their decision to choose a candidate for the presidential election until September 27. The decision means that the party can not elect a candidate through an internal consultation, but the board will pick one if the Uribe is not allowed or chooses not to run for the presidency.
This decision took the three possible candidates of the party, Andres Felipe Arias, Jose Galat and Alvaro Leyva, by surprise. Galat said the decision was a betrayal and he would continue with his campaign.