LAWSUIT AGAINST LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWED URIBE'S REELECTION

(Sent in English by the Colectivo Alvear Restrepo)

Social Organizations File Lawsuit against Legislative Act Allowing Reelection
of the President of Colombia

<http://www.colectivodeabogados.org/article.php3?id_article=1356>
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Social Organizations
Bogotá, Colombia
June 17, 2008

On June 17, 2008, a remedy of review for the ruling that declared the
constitutionality of the legislative act allowing the reelection of president
Álvaro Uribe Vélez was submitted before the Honorable Constitutional Court by
a number of legal, labor and social organizations, upon considering that
irregular, illegal and fraudulent acts –currently known by the public-
affected the legality and legitimacy of said reform.

When the Constitutional Court issued a pronouncement on the constitutionality
of the legislative act that gave rise to the presidential reelection, the acts
that are now of public knowledge were not yet known, which should necessarily
affect the legality and legitimacy of said reform.

In the first place, a significant number of the members of congress that voted
in favor the legislative act are currently being criminally prosecuted for
their alliances with paramilitary groups. For instance, the Pact of Ralito
constituted the formalization of a macabre alliance with criminal designs,
which has gravely affected the principles of the rule of law and participatory
democracy, given that many of these members of congress reached parliament
through the support of paramilitary terror.

In the second place, the testimony provided by former congress member YIDIS
MEDINA, and the evidence she put forward, demonstrates that senior government
officials bought the deciding vote of this member of congress to ensure the
passage of the presidential reelection. Furthermore, this was the same motive
for having bought the absence of congress member TEODOLINDO AVENDAÑO.

These acts invalidate the foundation and grounds giving rise to the
legislative act, given that this act was not the result of a democratic and
transparent debate, rather the product fraudulent maneuvers contrary to free
democratic expression.

This remedy hopes to restore the principles that should rule a democracy
respecting ethical and constitutional principles, human rights, and the
foundation that should characterize a state based on democratic principles,
which in turn support the social rule of law.

This remedy of review requests the Constitutional Court to declare the
invalidity of the legislative act and, as a result, determine that the
constitutional reform of the presidential reelection loses effect since it was
brought about through legal defects.

To support this extraordinary remedy of review against the Ruling C-1040 of
December 19, 2005, which was the legal basis allowing the reelection of
president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, please download the following third party
proceedings:
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"Peace is not possible as long as such profound, disproportionate, and
aggravating differences exist in the fate of persons and peoples."
- José Alvear Restrepo


























Colombia Support Network
P.O. Box 1505
Madison, WI  53701-1505
phone:  (608) 257-8753
fax:  (608) 255-6621
e-mail:  csn@igc.org
http://www.colombiasupport.net