Colombia: Vote Sought to Permit 3rd Presidential Term [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

Source: NY Times/Reuters

July 23, 2008
Colombia: Vote Sought to Permit 3rd Presidential Term
By REUTERS

Supporters of President Álvaro Uribe of Colombia are pushing for a referendum that would permit him to run for a third term to continue his fight against Marxist guerrillas. Polls indicate that if Mr. Uribe were to run for re-election in 2010, he would easily win. But he is limited to two terms. To permit him to legally seek a third term, Congress would have to approve a referendum and voters would then have to agree to change the Constitution. “We plan to introduce the bill before September, once we have gathered five million signatures supporting the referendum,” said Senator Carlos García, the leader of the Party of National Social Unity, which backs Mr. Uribe.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/americas/23briefs-VOTESOUGHTTO_BRF.html?ref=world

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Previously posted by DU'er magbana:

COLOMBIA: URIBE Wants to Repeat 2006 Election Amid a Bribery Scandal
Colombia's Uribe calls for vote

President Alvaro Uribe gestures during a speech in Bogota, 26 June 2008
Mr Uribe and his government have denied offering bribes to lawmakers

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has called for a referendum to determine if there should be a new presidential poll amid a bribery scandal.

The move comes after the Supreme Court called for an investigation into the legality of his re-election in 2006.

A former politician had been convicted of taking a bribe to support the constitutional reform that granted Mr Uribe an unprecedented second term.

Mr Uribe enjoys a high popularity rating in Colombia.

"I am going to convene Congress so that it can produce as swiftly as possible legislation on a referendum, that would call the people to repeat the 2006 presidential election," Mr Uribe said in a nationally broadcast radio and television address.

"The right path has to be democratic rule," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7476752.stm
Or:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x5439