Imagination Station

Imagine a world in which the President calls up a Supreme Court justice and accuses him of attempting to bribe witnesses in order to implicate the President in illegal activities. Would you, like me, think that perhaps the President was guilty of the allegations and getting desperate?

At the same time, imagine that that world, that President, was so popular that he successfully changed the term limits clause of the national constitution to grant himself an extra term. And then, a year into that term, he lays the groundwork to change that clause again so that he can have his Roosevelt moment.

Now read this link and this one the article below from El Tiempo (or this one in English from IHT). It’s not just South America’s lefties that corrupt and defile democracy and the rule of law.

A third term for Alvaro Uribe will be debated by the U party congress.
(Rough translation conducted by yours truly.)

If most of the members of the party welcome the proposal a popular referendum will be pushed for impelling a new mandate for the current president.

When establishing the event, the party president, Carlos Garcia Orjuela, told attendants that the party has a very ample agenda that goes beyond the accomplishments of President Uribe.

“The ‘U’ party was born to last because it has proposals which exceed the years of the Uribe government,” said Garcia.

Nevertheless, Garcia gave their endorsement to Giraldo’s proposal to look for a third term for Uribe, when referring to the rejection of the idea by dissidents.

“Internal democracy is like this, if the majority agrees, they will have to use this decision. In this subject, there is no conscience object,” he said.

And he added, “If there is a reduction in democracy, any danger to democracy and any permanent attack against freedom and order, imposed by terrorism it will force Colombians to endorse President Uribe beyond this term.”

After these affirmations, more than an ideological congress, the ‘U’ made a series of more direct proposals to be considered for a third term for the president.

In fact, the first point to consider was the proposal for a citizen’s referendum so that Colombians are the ones that will decide and approve or not a third term for President Uribe.

This initiative will be taken to the ‘U’ Party for them to decide whether to green light this possibility or not. “What worries me is what will happen with the country after 2010,” said Luis Guillermo Giraldo, who maintained in addition, that 54% of those consulted on this idea agreed with the re-election of Uribe.

In addition the party proposed to elevate the status of the state’s Democratic Security Policy, create a stable fiscal regime, reform the state and several of its institutions, and finally the implantation of a parliamentary regime in Colombia.

On this point, Garcia explained that there would be a Chief of State responsible for the administration and chosen by a majority of Congress for a period of 4 years.