The Washington Post

Colombian lawmakers pass Uribe re-election bill

Sept 02--Colombian lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday aimed at allowing President Alvaro Uribe to seek a third consecutive term if the conservative U.S. ally chooses to run for re-election next May.

2 de septiembre de 2009

Uribe, popular for his U.S.-backed campaign against leftist rebels, has been evasive about whether he wants to run and he still faces hurdles to a possible re-election bid.

But he has high approval ratings and his allies drove the bill through the legislature despite opposition fears another term for Uribe would undermine Colombia's democracy.

Uribe's supporters say he is the only leader who can tackle the FARC guerrillas who once roamed the countryside kidnapping and bombing almost at will until he sent troops to reclaim swaths of the country under control of armed groups.
 
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