Uribe’s legacy in jeopardy

Uribe’s legacy in jeopardy

Miami Herald: From the day he assumed office in 2002, President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia showed that he was the right man for the job. He took a country that existed under a perpetual, if undeclared, state of siege to something resembling normalcy by weakening and nearly destroying a Marxist-led insurgency, a goal that eluded a series of predecessors at Narino Palace.

This remarkable achievement is a tribute to his energetic leadership. Unfortunately, Uribe and his supporters could destroy this legacy by seeking to extend his tenure for an unprecedented third term.

For Uribe to succumb to this political temptation would be a mistake, both for himself and for his country. Instead of being seen as the hero who brought Colombia back from the brink of chaos, he would be viewed as an ego-burdened politician seeking personal gratification. Instead of strengthening Colombia’s institutions, he would weaken them by imposing a personalist brand of politics on the national government.

Stretching it out

Until 2006, the constitution limited a president to a single, four-year term. Uribe’s performance was such that Colombia’s voters thought he deserved to stay on the job and voted to allow him a second term. Last week, the Senate gave the nod to another referendum that would permit a third term. That’s one too many.

Twelve years in a job originally designed for a four-year presidency would give Uribe, or any similar aspirant, too much power.

A healthy democracy requires alternating leadership.

Undeniably, Uribe remains very popular in Colombia. A recent poll gave him a 71 percent approval rating, reflecting the esteem in which he is held in a country that had grown weary of seeing the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, terrorize its citizens.

But Uribe should not confuse the grateful feelings of the electorate for political strength. Just because he might win a third term doesn’t mean he should try. A number of political scandals involving wiretapping and political surveillance of his opponents are swirling around Colombia’s president and could destroy his political standing.