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id: 125667
date: 10/12/2007 20:21
refid: 07BOGOTA7375
origin: Embassy Bogota
classification: UNCLASSIFIED
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----------------- header ends ----------------

UNCLAS BOGOTA 007375 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR CO
SUBJECT: U PARTY PROPOSES THIRD TERM FOR URIBE 
 
¶1.  On October 10, U Party Secretary General Luis Guillermo 
Giraldo announced that the Party would seek to amend the 
constitution to allow President Uribe to run for a third term 
in 2010 presidential elections.  In a Senate session hosted 
by the U Party to discuss its platform, Giraldo said "no 
military would change their general in the midst of winning 
the battle."  U Party officials said that after the October 
28 local elections, they will start a campaign to collect 
signatures to amend the constitution.  Polls show over 50% of 
Colombians would support another term for Uribe. 
 
¶2.  Uribe did not support the measure.  Secretary of the 
Presidency Bernardo Moreno told us Uribe would not run again, 
noting the huge institutional personal, and political costs 
that would be involved.  He predicted pressure for Uribe to 
stand again would dissipate as other candidates officially 
declare their candidacies.  Presidential advisor Jose Obdulio 
Gaviria told the press Uribe "had no interest" in pursuing 
the U Party proposal, and was interested only in finishing 
his second term.  Gaviria told us the U Party--although 
created to support Uribe's 2006 presidential campaign--no 
longer represents the Casa de Narino's interests.  Still, 
Uribe did not personally address the issue. 
 
¶3.  There is strong opposition within both the U Party and 
from other coalition and opposition parties for another 
reelection effort.  Former Defense Minister and U Party 
Senator Martha Lucia Ramirez said she opposed the measure. 
Conservative Party leader Senator Efrain Cepeda rejected the 
proposal and said the Conservatives planned to run their own 
candidate in 2010.  Cambio Radical leader German Vargas 
Lleras told us he plans to run for president, and would 
oppose a third Uribe term.  Leading figures in the opposition 
Liberal and Polo Democratico Parties also announced their 
opposition.  The U Party alone would not be able to muster 
the votes needed for the amendment. 
 
¶4.  Changing the constitution is not easy, and can be done in 
three ways.  1) Congress can pass a constitutional change 
through two separate, consecutive rounds of four debates in 
one Congressional session (year), with subsequent approval of 
the change by the Constitutional Court.  2) Congress can call 
a Constituent Assembly.  3) Signatures can be gathered (equal 
to five percent of the population) calling for a referendum. 
Congress and the Constitutional Court must then approve the 
referendum request.  Finally, the change must be approved by 
50 percent plus one of voters in the referendum--with a 
minimum of twenty-five percent of the voting population 
participating.  The U Party suggested the third route. 
Brownfield 

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