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Colombia President Allies Submit Petitions For 3rd Term Referendum

Colombia President Allies Submit Petitions For 3rd Term Referendum

BOGOTA -(Dow Jones)- A Colombian political party allied with President Alvaro Uribe, 55, has submitted to the election authority a petition with about 260,000 signatures supporting a referendum to change the constitution and allow the president to run for a third consecutive term in 2010.

Luis Guillermo Giraldo, the secretary of the Party for National Unity, started gathering the signatures in November as part of a private initiative, but his party decided to join him in February.

The law requires only 140,000 valid signatures, or 0.5% of all the country's voters, to start the long process for a referendum.

After the election authority verifies all the signatures, the party will have to collect 1.4 million new signatures in favor of the referendum. The Congress and the Constitutional Court will have approve the move before the referendum is placed on the ballot.

Uribe allies control both houses of Colombia's Congress.

The whole process will take time. Giraldo expects the referendum to take place in mid-2009.

If the "yes" wins, Congress will automatically change the constitution.

In late 2007, Uribe said he might seek a third term when his current four-year term ends, if a "disaster" happens. He didn't specify what kind of disaster would justify his running. Since then, Uribe has dodged the issue in public appearances.

Uribe, who was first elected in 2002, had the constitution changed in 2005 to be able to seek and then win a second four-year term in 2006. The widely popular Uribe was reelected in 2006 with 62% of the vote.

Since he took office, Colombian economic growth has accelerated significantly each year he has been in office to reach 6.8% in 2006, the highest pace registered in almost three decades.

Growth was spurred by private investment and consumer demand as a dramatic reduction of crime and violence in a once war-torn country encouraged foreign and local companies to invest in the country and families to spend.

Uribe's supporters attributed those successes to the president's policies.

The economic results of the past years made Uribe popular among investors and the business community.

According to a recent poll made by Invamer Gallup pollster, Uribe's popularity stood at 80% in January.

Politicians from opposition parties and some prominent allies of Uribe oppose any change in the constitution, according to press reports.

-By Inti Landauro, Dow Jones Newswires; 57-1-600 19 80; colombia at dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

By DodgerDogs on Mar 12, 2008, 17:25 in Politics & the war.

DodgerDogs says on Mar 12, 2008, 17:28:

Uribe has helped make Colombia safe, but he does not need a 3rd term.
No how no way !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's not a good idea for someone to perpetuate themselves eternally in power," said Jose Gregorio Hernandez, a former member of Colombia's Constitutional Court.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.Martin Luther King:

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Simon says on Mar 12, 2008, 17:46:

WHERE DO I SIGN UP?!

BTW, Uribe is not pushing to "perpetuate himself eternally in power", this third term is the will of the Colombian people!

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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toneloc24 says on Mar 12, 2008, 18:28:

So said Castro, so says Chavez, now so says Uribe????

Respect the Constitution. The timing of this is "hilarious."

"Don't tase me, bro!!!!"

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Simon says on Mar 12, 2008, 18:30:

No, Uribe hasn't said anything...it's the Colombian people who are doing the saying!

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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ColombianoGringo says on Mar 12, 2008, 18:45:

I knew this would happen and I don't like it. Sorry, but Uribe isn't the only one who can order the armed forces to go after the guerrilla. It's not like he is personally conducting the missions. If the Constitution is changed every time a popular president wants another term, it will soon be worthless.

Also, it is not the Colombian people who are pushing this forward, it is his political party. He promised that he would not run again unless their was an "hecatombe". The "hecatombe", if you can call it that, is over, so he should stick to his word decline to run.

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Simon says on Mar 12, 2008, 18:55:

There were 'only' 260,000 signatures (140,000 were needed) submitted for the referendum, somehow I don't think they're all from Uribe's party.

http://www.eltiempo.com/politica/2008-03-12/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR...

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

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Medellin Traveler says on Mar 12, 2008, 19:07:

Power does strange things to people, Uribe included.

Anytime, anyone, in any country goes against the constitution, that person needs to step aside, less others get the same idea, bad, bad, bad idea.

But...... many Colombians seem to like Uribe, not to be confused with LOVE.

"Huevos Rancheros en Medellin, No Quiero Taco Bell." - www.medellintraveler.com

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romy says on Mar 12, 2008, 19:26:

Although I definately wouldn't want Uribe for 12 years I don't agree with "Anything, anyone, in any country goes against the constitution, that person needs to step aside, less others get the same idea, bad, bad, bad idea." because throughout history many bad laws have been written that need to be revised.
Venezuela voted against Chavez having lifelong power, what will Colombia do for Uribe?

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Gator says on Mar 12, 2008, 19:38:

"Sorry, but Uribe isn't the only one who can order the armed forces to go after the guerrilla."

True, but he is the only one who has. If you don't live here you don't know how really popular this man is.

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

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DodgerDogs says on Mar 12, 2008, 20:13:

Gator is right the man has a strong following here . Check out his Video and see the reactions of the people.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.Martin Luther King:

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SiV says on Mar 12, 2008, 20:35:

What the F does Britney Spears know about Colombian politics? Oh, it's not her. .

Stultórum númere infinitum est.

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jack_jason says on Mar 13, 2008, 06:27:

Aunque el video sea una pendejada, yo votare por Uribe para un tercer mandato.

This is just spanglish, please do not correct me

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Monpirri says on Mar 13, 2008, 07:03:

Uribe y su gobierno sin duda han hecho un buen papel en mejorar al pais, yo votaria por Uribe siempre y cuando no se siga regalando o vendiendo las empresas colombianas al exterior, como en el caso de las compañias de cemento colombiano.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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webmanco says on Mar 13, 2008, 09:54:

Uribe was heard of going to Ecuador, someone asked him

oye vas paraQuito, to what Uribe responded más paraquito su papá.

Amigos de Colombia

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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juancegomez says on Mar 13, 2008, 10:46:

This was and continues to be a bad idea, but it can still stumble and fail, for one reason or another, including though not limited to Uribe's own final decision.

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aNdReSk says on Mar 13, 2008, 14:04:

Yay :D It's gonna be the second time i vote for him

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vladimiro says on Mar 13, 2008, 19:07:

If I remember correctly one of the key factors in colombia's numerous on going civil wars was that one party would entrench themselves in office for so long that the opppossition party would have to resort to violence to dislogde them.

I believe TiroFijo got his start working for the liberal party boss's in Bogota who used him to wage violent war against conservatives. A truce was made and liberal and conservative agreed to switch back and forth each election. But TiroFijo, among others, disagreed with the truce and kept fighting.

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poco says on Mar 13, 2008, 19:24:

Personally, I don't think it a good idea. If all is rosey, he could successfully back another candidate.

My experience in the corporate world indicates that over 8 years in the same supervisory position and many people get a little crazy.

"When you men get home and face an anti-war protester, look him in the eyes and shake his hand. Then, wink at his girlfriend, because she knows she's dating a pussy." Quote - General Tommy Franks

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juancegomez says on Mar 14, 2008, 11:34:

vladimiro:

"If I remember correctly one of the key factors in colombia's numerous on going civil wars was that one party would entrench themselves in office for so long that the opppossition party would have to resort to violence to dislogde them."

More or less...I can think of two relevant examples though:

The Radical Liberals towards the later half of the 19th century, though the misuse of federalism also contributed to the intermittent chaos...and the post-Rafael Nuñez Conservative hegemony, though that was only fully consolidated after the Thousand Days War.

However, the early 20th century as a whole was comparatively peaceful...until La Violencia, that is.

"I believe TiroFijo got his start working for the liberal party boss's in Bogota who used him to wage violent war against conservatives. A truce was made and liberal and conservative agreed to switch back and forth each election. But TiroFijo, among others, disagreed with the truce and kept fighting."

I guess that's one way to look at it...in that case, I believe it's not so much a case of "disagreeing" with the peace (truce is too weak a word, IMHO), but of wanting to consolidate armed autonomy in and around certain enclaves (including the infamous Marquetalia) while, if it comes down to it, also following the Communist Party's directives about "all forms of struggle". He wasn't really much of Liberal by then...and even if he was technically a Communist out of convenience at first, he wasn't exactly disconnected from the Party until (arguably) several decades later

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