Cablegate: Reelection Passes House

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

UNCLAS BOGOTA 012290

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: DNG: 12/01/2014
TAGS: PGOV CO
SUBJECT: REELECTION PASSES HOUSE

1. (U) On November 30, the House of Representatives
approved legislation to reform the Constitution to permit
Presidential reelection (two terms maximum). Each article
of the legislation was voted and passed in the range of
100-115 (of 166 total members) in favor. The only
remaining legislative step is a conference committee
process, which must take place by December 15.
Subsequently, the nine-member Constitutional Court will
review the legislation on procedural grounds. The Court
will recess from mid-December until early February, and
its decision is not expected prior to mid-February. The
next Presidential election will occur in May 2006.

2. (SBU) The conference committee will determine whether
or not to maintain the prohibition on officials elected in
2003 (including the mayor of Bogota) running for President
in 2006. Our Congressional contacts are confident the
status quo will prevail. How the conference committee
handles the legislation could affect the Constitutional
Court's review process. While the Court did strike down
anti-terrorism legislation earlier this year, the margin
of passage in the House on that legislation was one vote.

WOOD

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