Cambio Radical presidential candidate German Vargas Lleras, said Thursday that he is “willing to discuss” a political alliance with Liberal Party candidate Rafael Pardo, in the first round of Colombia’s upcoming presidential elections.
In an interview with Caracol Radio, the Cambio Radical candidate said that a decision would be made in the following days as to whether the two candidates would form an alliance.
“I remain hopeful that this discussion will open a path that will allow us to reach a unified formula for the first round of elections. I am willing to discuss all possibilities that will allow us to pave the way,” said Vargas Lleras.
The candidate, who was himself a member of the Liberal Party before the election of President Alvaro Uribe, said that the political ideologies of the two parties coincided in many respects, thus a union with Pardo is a viable option.
“Those of us that joined the Cambio Radical for the most part … have our roots in the Liberal Party,” explained Vargas Lleras.
He went on to explain that in the event of an alliance, public opinion poles would be conducted in order to decide which of the two party leaders would run as presidential candidate and which as vice-president.
The Cambio Radical candidate said, however, that if he does not gain enough votes to enter into the second round of elections, he would vote for Partido de la U’s candidate Juan Manuel Santos.
Santos responded to the statement, saying that the support of Vargas Lleras’ party would be well received, given the two parties’ “very similar ideologies.”
Vargas Lleras said that although an alliance with the Liberal Party “would not be easy,” it remained a possibility.
This follows news on Wednesday that congressional representatives from the Liberal Party called for their presidential candidate to explore the possibility of forming a political union for Colombia’s coming election.