Colombia term rule change closer

The controversial bill, passed after more than 12 hours of debate, must now go before the constitutional court before being put to a referendum. Mr Uribe has not yet said whether he intends to stand in the next election, scheduled to take place in May 2010. But critics say a regular change in leadership is important for democracy. Lawmakers in the lower house voted 85-5 in favour of the bill, which was approved by the Senate in May. "The Congress has fulfilled its duty," said pro-Uribe lawmaker Santiago Castro. "It's up to the Colombian people now to define the fate of the re-election at the polls."   Read more here.   Semana International delivers news about Colombia in English. Find more in our home.