Colombia: Congress Rejects an Extension of Duque's Office Term

Colombia's Congress on Thursday unanimously rejected a bill that sought to extend the term in office of several public authorities, including that of President Ivan Duque, whose mandate ends in 2022.

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The bill was presented by the Chamber's Secretariat, which intended to increase the mandates of lawmakers, governors, mayors, councilmen from 4 to 5 years and allow Duque to remain in the post until 2024. 

Several political figures expressed their rejections to the project, including Colombia's ex-President Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010), who is a strong Duque's ally at Congress.

"The 25 lawmakers who presented an initiative to extend their term and postpone the elections by two years break the constitutional order," Democratic Polo lawmaker Ivan Cepeda said.

"They are incurring in an open violation of the constitutional order, exposing themselves to loss their investiture", he added. 

The country's economic situation due to the pandemic, the need for institutional strengthening,  and the reduction of the electoral process were some of the reasons presented to sustain the initiative.

"The election unification project would be a coup against democracy with catastrophic implications... It breaks the institutional balance of power and would unconstitutionally lengthen the terms of elected officers," Liberal party President Carlos Losada stressed.

Colombia's Vice President Marta Rodriguez also expressed her disagreement with the bill while highlighting that Duque holds the commitment of leaving the office on Aug. 7, 2022.