This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 001768 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KJUS PTER CO AUC
SUBJECT: PROCEDURAL ISSUES AND LEGAL QUESTIONS SURROUNDING 
PARAMILITARY DEMOBILIZATION LEGISLATION 
 
REF: A. BOGOTA 1660 
 
     ¶B. 04 BOGOTA 8370 NOTAL 
 
Ref A describes the draft bills now before the Congress.  Ref 
B describes the structure of the Congress. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Congress is gearing up to debate 
demobilization legislation in a special session convened by 
the GOC.  In a meeting with U/S Grossman on February 14 
(septel), President Uribe said the earliest possible 
resolution of the law would be mid-June.  Our senior 
Congressional interlocutors agree with that assessment.  The 
GOC has attached the urgency label to the legislation, which 
reduces mandatory processing time between each stage of 
debate.  Below is an overview of the timetable, procedural 
issues, and potential legal questions surrounding the issue, 
based on our discussions with House Speaker Zulema Jattin, a 
former Senate President and House Speaker, a senator 
previously on the Constitutional Court, and the 
administrative/legal heads of both houses of Congress.  Ref B 
provided a detailed summary of the legislative process in 
Colombia.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) In mid-February, the GOC called Congress into special 
session to begin work on legislation to provide a legal 
framework for members of illegal armed groups (IAGs) who 
demobilize but are accused of major crimes.  The special 
session formally began on February 15 and will end on March 
15, after which a regular session of Congress will run until 
June 20.  At present, nine draft bills (including one 
introduced by Interior and Justice Minister Sabas Pretelt for 
the GOC) have been submitted for consideration. 
Demobilization legislation can carry over from the special to 
the regular session. 
 
¶3.  (U) So-called "ponentes," a representative group of 
interested members of Congress (pro and con), were named 
during the week of February 14.  Once their initial written 
recommendations are ready (which may take as long as 15 
days), Congressional committees will begin formal debate on 
the legislation.  The GOC placed the "urgency" label on the 
issue, a move that signifies the following: 
 
--The issue will be first on the agenda ("orden del dia") on 
any given deliberative day of the special session; 
--The First Committees (Constitutional and Legal Issues) of 
both houses will meet jointly to debate the bills (but will 
split off to vote separately); and 
--The normal 15-day waiting period between committee vote and 
earliest possible full House and/or Senate voted is waived. 
 
Provided that the GOC again attaches the urgency label to the 
legislation once the bill has come out of the House and 
Senate committees, the full House and Senate would meet 
jointly to debate (but would again vote separately). 
 
¶4.  (U) The GOC has opted to treat the legislation as 
"ordinary" in nature rather than "statutory."  Both ordinary 
and statutory bills require four rounds of approval in the 
Congress (House committee level, full House, Senate committee 
level, and full Senate).  However, while ordinary bills 
require "simply majority" (majority of quorum), statutory 
bills require "absolute majority" (majority of members).  In 
addition, while the Constitutional Court may rule on 
challenges to any type of legislation brought before it by 
individual(s), it is obligated to review, on procedural 
grounds, statutory bills. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Not all experts agree with the GOC's decision to 
treat the bill as ordinary.  One is Senator Carlos Gaviria, a 
former member of the Constitutional Court, who feels the law 
is statutory, as it deals with the administration of justice. 
 (Note:  Article 152 of the Constitution lists administration 
of justice as one area in which bills must be statutory.  End 
Note.)  The chief of staff to Senate President Luis Humberto 
Gomez told poloff on February 17 that Gomez agrees with 
Gaviria. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Comment:  Given the stakes of demobilization 
legislation, it appears that the issue will not be resolved 
by Congress during the special session.  Unresolved legal 
issues could delay passage or, if a law is passed, allow the 
Constitutional Court to strike down a law on technical 
grounds.  Nevertheless, the GOC and many members of Congress 
recognize the importance of this legislation and will work 
with an eye toward adoption by the end of the regular session 
in June. 
 
¶7.  Post asks Department to ensure this message is passed to 
appropriate members of the U.S. Congress. 
DRUCKER