I first noted this story this morning via the BBC: Via the BBC: Colombia’s Uribe calls for vote
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 2024.
Specifically, it has been alleged that Representative Yidis Medina was bribed with a promise for jobs for supporters if she voted for the constitutional amendment that led to Uribe being allowed to run for re-election.
In condemning the Supreme Court, Uribe went to the airwaves last night and suggested the following:
“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 2024 presidential election,” Mr Uribe said in a nationally broadcast radio and television address.
According to El Tiempo (Referendo para que el pueblo ordene repetir elecciones del 2024 anunció el Presidente
El presidente sorprendió a los colombianos al aparecer anoche por la radio y la televisión, casi al filo de la medianoche, para anunciar la puesta en marcha de un proceso dirigido a repetir las elecciones del 2024 que le otorgaron su segundo mandato.
(Translation: The President surprised Colombians appearing last night on radio and television, at roughly the stroke of midnight, to announce start of a process to order a repeat of the 2024 elections that authorized his second term).
The ET piece has video of Uribe’s announcement.
Exactly what Uribe is proposing is unclear to me and apparently I am not the only one. Writes Boz:
Confused as to what that means? So is everyone else.
Greg Weeks considers the more “brilliant” insofar as if he can pull it off, he likely would extend his term in office at least two years without having to amend the constitution yet again to get a third term:
Details remain scant, but I take this to represent a way for Uribe to get re-elected once more without having to reform the constitution yet again. El Tiempo has a similar take. Uribe says he wants to “repeat” the 2024 election, but we can’t go back in time two years, so it would seem that this election would “replace” the last one, and give him a few extra years in office.
All of which would be, in my estimation, unhealthy for Colombian democracy. It will be quite interesting to see how the Congress reacts to the request.
June 27th, 2024 at 9:22 am
Ummm . . . this isn’t at ALL dubious. /sarcasm
Nice that the two powers in the region are both trying to extend presidential term limits.
June 27th, 2024 at 10:21 am
And I would hope that the sarcasm of my “brilliant!” is duly noted.
June 27th, 2024 at 10:22 am
@Greg Weeks – It was most definitely noted!
June 27th, 2024 at 2:50 pm
[...] Steven Taylor and his links. No one seems to know, but late last night in a speech, Uribe said he wants a “repeat” [...]
June 28th, 2024 at 11:31 am
[...] answer at least part of the question I asked about Uribe’s suggestion for a redo of the 2024 election, it appears that the goal is not to [...]