Colombia’s Supreme Court needs more time than initially indicated to
elect a new Prosecutor General, the court’s President said Thursday.
The Court was supposed to elect the successor of Prosecutor Mario Iguaran Thursday, but says it needs another two weeks for the process.
President Alvaro Uribe preselected three candidates for the post. The Court then had to chose one of these three.
In the five-hour meeting Thursday, none of the candidates seemed to receive enough support and according to several media, some of the court’s magistrates threatened to cast a blank vote, because they consider none of the candidates qualified enough for the job.
Court President Augusto Ibañez said the magistrates are looking into the possibility of adding more requirements to the profile. Constitutionally, the Prosecutor General must have at least ten years of experience as a lawyer, may not have a criminal record and must be Colombian.
The Court may demand that a candidate has experience in criminal law, something none of the current candidates have.
Because Mario Iguaran is to leave office on July 30, the Court will
appoint deputy Prosecutor General Guillermo Mendoza Diago as interim PG
until they are able to elect the definite new head of the country’s
Prosecution General.