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Colombian ruling backs Uribe re-election bid
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Colombian ruling backs Uribe re-election bid
Patrick Markey
BOGOTA
Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:32pm EST
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BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Tuesday won more support for re-election after a public ombudsman ruled the Constitutional Court should approve a referendum to permit the U.S. ally to run for a third term.
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The Inspector General's recommendation is nonbinding but it will be considered by the Constitutional Court, which has the final word on whether to allow a referendum on changing the law to permit Uribe to run for office again in May.
"The inspector general's office urges the Constitutional Court to declare the law constitutional," the ombudsman's office said on its website.
Uribe, popular for his campaign against leftist rebels, has yet to say whether he will run. But the bid to amend the constitution again to allow him to seek a second re-election has critics worried over the threat to Colombia's democracy.
Constitutional magistrates now have about two months to make a ruling on whether the re-election is legal, but time would be very tight for electoral authorities to organize a ballot before the May presidential vote.
First elected in 2002, Uribe was reelected in 2006 after a constitutional amendment lifted a ban on a second consecutive term. The inspector general's office declared that measure illegal, but the Constitutional Court approved it.
"This will make the court's decision easier. If the court decides to approve the law it has a point of support," said Jaime Castro, a former Bogota mayor and constitutional lawyer. "This gives the referendum a breath of air."
FOLLOWING THE ANDEAN PATH
Should Uribe seek re-election he would follow in the footsteps of Andean neighbors Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Ecuador's Rafael Correa, who have drawn criticism for changing their constitutions to extend their time in office.
"This decision on the referendum is no surprise. It would have been a surprise if the inspector general had made a judicial decision and not a decision of a political ally of the government," said Rafael Pardo, a presidential candidate.
Most polls show Uribe remains hugely popular with Colombians who are grateful to him for taking on FARC rebels and helping reduce kidnappings, bombings and rebel attacks. More than half of Colombians polled say they would support the conservative leader's re-election.
But Uribe's second term has been dogged by an economic slump, scandals from corruption probes, trials of soldiers for killing civilians and the arrest of lawmakers for cooperating with outlawed militias involved in drug trafficking and massacres.
A crowd of would-be contenders is already jockeying for position should Uribe decide to step aside or the court rule against the referendum. Among the leading candidates are his former defense minister and an ex-mayor of Medellin.
But any candidate to replace Uribe in the presidential palace would likely follow the basic concepts of his "Democratic Security" policy of battling rebels and drug traffickers while drawing more foreign investment.
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