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Election Date: May 28, 2006

At stake: Congress

Background

Álvaro Uribe is the most popular president Colombia has ever had. It all started in 2002, when he promised once and for all an end to a 40-year-old armed conflict.

Before 1964, two parties literally fought to the death for power in Colombia, starting what is now an embedded culture of violence in the South American country. The Conservative Party (PC) and the Liberal Party (PL) were the only true political forces in the nation.

In 1964, the Colombian Communist Party (PCC) created an armed faction called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The FARC separated almost immediately from the PCC, and is now the largest, wealthiest and strongest military guerrilla in Colombia.

The FARC currently dominate about 40 per cent of Colombia's territory, most of which is jungle. From its beginnings as a "people's army" preoccupied with social injustice and the increasing influence of the United States in domestic politics, the FARC have evolved into a wealthy organization financed by drug production and trafficking, and kidnappings.

Another leftist guerrilla group was also born in 1964, the National Liberation Army (ELN). However, these armed groups have lost the backing of most Colombians. People resent their many terrorist attacks against civilians, their massacres in rural areas against alleged "enemies" and other violent acts they have openly committed.

Before drug trafficking became a means to finance these armies, the guerrillas used to blackmail landlords and steal their cattle and agricultural products. They also relied on kidnapping and death threats as extortion, aided by a weak governmental military presence in many areas.

In the early 1980s, landlords and the first breed of Colombian drug dealers began to fight the guerrillas on their own. This was the origin of numerous paramilitary groups that rapidly spread around the country.

The paramilitary groups responded to the guerrillas with brutal massacres of "leftists" in which entire towns where invaded and obliterated overnight. The armies took over regions where they instated their own rule of law, based on extreme right-wing and "social cleansing" premises. These paramilitary groups also began to fight the guerrillas, especially the FARC, over the control of strategic drug production and trafficking passages. In many occasions, they were seen acting along with the government's armed forces against the guerrillas.

During the 1980s, it became evident that drug trafficking had permeated Colombian politics. In August 1989, PL presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento—who was leading in the polls—was murdered. Galán had repeatedly denounced the influence of drug dealers, especially Pablo Escobar—the head of the Medellín Cartel—in national politics.

In 1997, most paramilitary groups gathered under the umbrella of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), as their increasing strength became evident.

In 1998, Andrés Pastrana won the presidential election. Under his rule, a vast area south from the capital city of Bogotá was demilitarized in order to hold peace dialogues with the FARC. After three years of talks, the negotiations were deemed a failure.

In 2002, Álvaro Uribe Vélez was elected president as the candidate of the Colombia First (PC) banner with 53.1 per cent of the vote. Uribe promised to end the guerrillas by strengthening the armed forces.

In July 2003, Uribe and the AUC leaders signed an agreement in which the latter committed to gradually demobilize its factions and cease to exist as an armed group by December 2005. The deadline was later extended to Feb. 15, 2006, under pressure from AUC negotiators. About 11,000 paramilitary soldiers have laid down their arms so far.

Despite over four decades of violence, Colombia enjoys the reputation of being one of the most stable democracies in the region. It is one of few Latin American countries with no record of a brutal dictatorship or military rule during the 20th Century.

2005 Presidential and Congressional Election

During his tenure, Uribe enacted a reform to Colombia's electoral regulations that calls for a higher threshold in order to win congressional seats. In 2002, more than 40 different political organizations elected lawmakers to the Chamber of Representatives, under the proportional representation system.

The two traditional parties—liberals and conservatives—as well as the Uribe-friendly Party of the U, Radical Change (CR), Citizens' Convergence (CC), Team Colombia (EC) and the PDI are expected to dominate the legislative contest.

In November 2004, the Colombian House of Representatives voted 113-16 to pass legislation that would allow presidential re-election. Uribe is now running as an incumbent in the election scheduled for May 28.

In May 2005, a former paramilitary chief announced his intention of becoming a congressional candidate in 2006. Giovanni Marín was part of a demobilized faction of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).

The announcement raised criticism from every government faction, especially the leftist Independent Democratic Pole (PDI). PDI representative Gustavo Petro said paramilitaries support Uribe and are rewarded. According to Petro, paramilitary groups control 1.2 million votes that are crucial for Uribe's re-election.

On Jun. 21, the Colombian House of Representatives approved the Peace and Justice Law, which provides the legal framework to the demobilization of all armed groups. The law has been widely criticized both in Colombia and abroad for being too lax with the perpetrators of massacres and atrocious crimes.

On Oct. 25, former president and liberal leader César Gaviria denounced political pressure from paramilitary groups on isolated populations that could benefit Uribe in the election. Gaviria challenged Uribe to either accept or reject the explicit support that some paramilitary leaders have bestowed upon him.

Gaviria—who is also the former president of the Organization of American States (OAS)—has said the PL might look for an alliance with the left to try to push for a second round in May. If no candidate gets more than 50 per cent of all cast ballots, a run-off is required to elect the president.

Also on Oct. 25, Colombian daily El Tiempo unveiled a massive scandal, linking the national security agency (DAS) with paramilitary groups. The head of the institution, Jorge Noguera, resigned. A special commission was assigned to investigate the allegations.

On Dec. 14, Uribe accepted a proposal tabled by a delegation encompassing Switzerland, France and Spain to demilitarize an area of Colombia. The plan would allow for the so-called "humanitarian exchange" with the FARC. The government would swap FARC prisoners for close to 60 hostages being held by the guerrillas.

On Dec. 17, the government and leaders of the leftist ELN met in Havana, Cuba, in order to talk about the possibility of starting peace dialogues in the future.

A Yanhaas poll released by RCN in December put support for Uribe at 73 per cent. OAS ambassador Horacio Serpa would get five per cent of the votes, while former Bogotá mayor Antanas Mockus would get 2.8 per cent, and PDI senator Antonio Navarro Wolff would get 2.1 per cent.

On Dec. 27, 29 government officers who were surveying operations of manual coca-leaf eradication in the eastern department of Meta were killed by the FARC.

On Jan. 2, 2006, the FARC rejected Uribe's "humanitarian exchange" offer, claiming the president was trying to use the hostage issue as a campaign commodity. Once again, the FARC stated that a swap will never happen while Uribe is in office. The next day, Uribe responded by calling the FARC "thieves, kidnappers, buffoons and screamers."

In January, Uribe publicly apologized to PL senator and former defence minister Rafael Pardo, who the president had mistakenly accused of promoting a deal with the FARC to destabilize his administration. "The government cannot prove its statements against Pardo, so the government takes back its statements," said Uribe.

On Jan. 31, FARC second-in-command Raúl Reyes said the group would not enter talks with the current government, saying, "The possibility of an exchange of prisoners (for people who have been kidnapped by the FARC) will happen with a government other than Uribe's."

A study conducted in January by Datexco placed Uribe as the frontrunner with 48 per cent, while a poll by Napoleón Franco & Cía. put support for his re-election at 57 per cent.

On Feb. 1, Mockus presented his independent list of candidates for the Mar. 12 legislative election. The former Bogotá mayor urged citizens who are "repulsed" by certain politicians to support his faction.

On Feb. 10, the registration process drew to a close. A total of 41 parties and coalitions will take part in the legislative ballot, down from 61 in the 2002 ballot.

On Feb. 22, the FARC rejected any peace process with the Uribe government through a statement posted on its website.

A late February poll by Yanhaas placed the Radical Change (CR) party as the top contender in the legislative election with 19.79 per cent, followed by the Liberal Party (PL) with 19.38 per cent, and the Party of the U with 15.18 per cent.

On Mar. 1, in his first campaign event, Uribe touted his financial policies, declaring, "This morning, the Central Bank certified that Colombia was fiscally balanced in 2005. With your help, we went from a 4.2 per cent deficit to zero."

On Mar. 7, Uribe criticized the FARC for freeing two police officers a few days before the legislative election. The president referred to the act as "human trafficking with electoral goals." Former president and PL leader César Gaviria Trujillo disagreed with Uribe, saying, "The guerrilla members have evidently committed barbaric acts, but this gesture brings joy to a family that had little news about its loved ones."

Voting took place on Mar. 12. Preliminary results with 80 per cent of all votes tallied gave the Uribe-friendly Party of the U 20 seats in the Senate, followed by the Conservatives with 18 mandates, and Radical Change with 15 seats. The Liberals secured 17 mandates, and the Democratic Pole won 11.

On the same day, the PL selected Organization of American States (OAS) ambassador Horacio Serpa as its presidential nominee, while the PDA chose former Constitutional Court president Carlos Gaviria.

On Mar. 20, Gaviria said Uribe is "beatable" and added, "He does things that are unacceptable. In another country, people would have already demanded his fall."

On Mar. 22, the ELN's website featured a communiqué, which called on all the opposition forces to assemble. The statement read, "The need for an alliance between the left and more centrist factions has become evident. Otherwise, the despotic model of the right will be consolidated and the social and armed conflict will grow."

A March poll by Napoleón Franco & Cía. placed Uribe in first place with 56 per cent, followed by Serpa with 25 per cent, Gaviria with nine per cent, and Mockus with two per cent. A survey by Invamer Gallup had Uribe at 64.1 per cent, followed by Serpa with 19.6 per cent, and Gaviria with 9.9 per cent.

On Mar. 26, Uribe said Colombia should not choose between ending the armed struggle and boosting domestic investment, saying, "What the country needs is to approach security policies and social policies hand in hand." The president's statement came a day after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) freed two police officers who had been kidnapped in November 2005.

On Apr. 23, Gaviria presented his platform, which calls for "finding a solution for the armed conflict through political negotiation" and "creating a social model that will end injustice, poverty and inequality."

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez referred to Colombia as a "bigamous" nation for fostering close ties to both the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and the United States. On Apr. 27, Uribe declared, "It would have been more precise to accuse me of polygamy, since what we want is for Colombia to have good relations with Venezuela, Cuba and many other countries."

In late April, Liliana Gaviria—sister of former president and PL member César Gaviria—was assassinated in an apparent attempted kidnapping. Serpa said the crime "shows the degree of intolerance that is taking hold of Colombians." Mockus declared that an "anything goes mentality" has been imposed within the country's social interaction.

Polls conducted in April by YanHaas, Datexco Company, Invamer Gallup and Napoleón Franco & Cía. suggested a first round victory for Uribe, with anywhere from 55.7 per cent to 64.3 per cent of the vote.

On May 5, Uribe said Colombia's voters face a choice "between the continuation of democratic security and the road to peace, or going back to concealed communism that would cede the country to the FARC."

Gaviria criticized Uribe's choice of words, saying, "He is resorting to a brand of McCarthyism of the worst breed."

On May 14, Álvaro Leyva of the National Conciliation Movement (MNR) withdrew his candidacy, declaring, "There is inequality and also danger. The fact that the president refused to debate with the other candidates has hurt the country."

Polls released in May by Napoleón Franco & Cía. and Invamer Gallup suggested a first round victory for Uribe, with at least 57 per cent of all cast ballots.

On May 19, Gaviria expressed satisfaction with his second-place standing, saying, "These are good news, but I get an even better feeling from the people I meet. I don't discard polls, but I trust more in what my senses are telling me, so I am very optimistic."

Voting took place on May 28. Final results gave Uribe a new four-year term, with more than 62 per cent of all cast ballots. The president addressed a crowd of supporters in Bogota, saying, "We will move forward to have a secure Colombia so that our youth can live happily on our noble soil. May God help us so that this democratic decision is worthy of our great country."

Uribe's 7.3 million votes surpassed the previous mark for a presidential candidate, set by Andrés Pastrana in 1998, by 1.2 million ballots.

Uribe was sworn in for a new term on Aug. 7.

Political Players

President: Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Vice-president: Francisco Santos Calderón

The president is elected to a four-year term by popular vote.

Legislative Branch: The Congreso (Congress) has two chambers. The Cámara de Representantes (Chamber of Representatives) has 167 members, elected to four-year terms by proportional representation. The Senado de la República (Senate of the Republic) has 102 members, elected to four-year terms by proportional representation.

Results of Last Election:

President - May 28, 2006

Chamber of Representatives - Mar. 12, 2006

Senate - Mar. 12, 2006

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