Colombia’s Partido de la U met with the Conservatives to propose a union with Radical Change and present a single candidate for the March presidential elections.
Following a meeting between the leaders of the Partido de la U, Juan Manuel Santos, and the Conservatives Fernando Araujo, it was concluded that they will unite to discuss bringing forward one single candidate for the March 2010 elections.
Upon leaving the meeting with Araujo, Santos stated “we must think of a formula with which to move forward together into the coming elections.”
“The defence of the political project of President Alvaro Uribe needs to be strengthened and fed everyday,” Santos explained in a report by El Espectador Tuesday.
Santos further described that the aim of the uniting parties was to support the re-election of Uribe into a third consecutive term but if this is not possible Santos stressed that someone needed to be there to carry on his policies – “that someone could be me,” he was quoted saying.
The leader of the Partido de la U also extended an invitation to German Vargas Lleras, leader of the Radical Change Party, proposing that he unite with the other Uribista parties. “German Vargas would be safer of this side of the river than the other,” Santos assured.
Araujo also declared that the Radical Change party would be welcome in their new, united coalition.