|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
|
|
|||||
| |||||||||||||
|
Colombia's Uribe Poised for Re-Election
BOGOTA, Colombia (By Toby Muse, AP) March 15, 2006 — Supporters of President Alvaro Uribe took decisive control of the Colombia's congress, dominating an election in which candidates defined themselves by their views of the Colombian leader. Political parties loyal to Uribe looked set to win more than two-thirds of the Senate; in the lower house, parties loyal to Uribe won at least a majority as votes from Sunday's election were still being tallied. The victory will make it easier for Uribe to pass his agenda, which includes ratifying a free trade agreement signed with the United States a week ago. Other goals for Washington's closest South American ally are changes to the tax code to boost government income and continuing support for his hard-line against Colombia's insurgency. Horacio Serpa, the Liberal Party candidate expected to be Uribe's main challenger in May 28 presidential election, got only an anemic endorsement in party primaries also held Sunday for what will be his third shot at the presidency. "This election was a big win for Uribe," said Juan Jaramillo, a political analyst at Colombia's National University. "People went out and voted for those candidates who said they were going to support the president." Turnout was just over 40 percent, according to the registry office overseeing the vote count. The main opposition, the Liberal Party, received a million votes less in the Senate than it did in last congressional elections in 2002, cutting its representation by about a third. The Liberals were pushed into third place in the Senate and the party that received the most votes was an entirely new one formed by one of Uribe's most enthusiastic supporters. Despite threats of rebel violence, the armed forces reported only minor incidents, such as the dynamiting of power pylons and burning of buses. The one death blamed on the rebels was of young boy which occurred when a group of soldiers came under attack. |
|
