REELECTION PASSES HOUSE

UNCLAS BOGOTA 012290 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: DNG: 12/01/2014 TAGS: PGOV CO SUBJECT: REELECTION PASSES HOUSE ¶1. (U) On November 30, the House of Representatives approved legislation to reform the Constitution to permit Presidential reelection (two terms maximum). Each article of the legislation was voted and passed in the range of 100-115 (of 166 total members) in favor. The only remaining legislative step is a conference committee process, which must take place by December 15. Subsequently, the nine-member Constitutional Court will review the legislation on procedural grounds. The Court will recess from mid-December until early February, and its decision is not expected prior to mid-February. The next Presidential election will occur in May 2006. ¶2. (SBU) The conference committee will determine whether or not to maintain the prohibition on officials elected in 2003 (including the mayor of Bogota) running for President in 2006. Our Congressional contacts are confident the status quo will prevail. How the conference committee handles the legislation could affect the Constitutional Court's review process. While the Court did strike down anti-terrorism legislation earlier this year, the margin of passage in the House on that legislation was one vote. WOOD