President of Colombia
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- See also: List of Presidents of Colombia
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The President of Colombia (Spanish: Presidente de Colombia) is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the 1819 Constitution established during the Congress of Angostura when Colombia was part of the Greater Colombia. The first president Simon Bolivar took office in 1819 initially self-proclaimed and then ratified by Congress. The current president of the Republic of Colombia is Alvaro Uribe, elected by popular vote.
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[edit] Functions
According to the Colombian Constitution of 1991, Article 188: The President of Colombia is the head of state, head of government and Supreme Administrative Authority. The President of Colombia symbolizes the National Unity and after swearing an oath to the Constitution and laws, he is obligued to guarantee Rights and Liberties of the Colombian people.[1]
The Administrative Department of the Presidency of Colombia has the mission to assist or support the President of Colombia on its constitutional mandated functions and legal issues.[2]
Colombian Constitution of 1991 Article 115: States that the National Government is formed by the President of Colombia, the Vice President of Colombia, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Colombia and the Directors of the Administrative Departments of Colombia. Any official from these entities constitute the Government of Colombia in any particular business.
No act by the President of Colombia will have value or force at all unless it has been addressed by any of the ministries or directors who will also be considered responsibles. The only exception is if the President appoints or removes minister, administrative departments' directors and any other officials appointed by him under his administrative authority. Governors of the Departments of Colombia, Mayors of Municipalities of Colombia, as well as Superintendencies of Colombia, public establishments and Industrial and Comercial State Companies of Colombia are all part of the Executive branch of Colombia.
[edit] General description
The Colombian Constitution of 1991, coupled with several articles of amendment, establishes the requirements an elegible candidate must meet in order to become president, as well as the term of office, method of election, and powers.
[edit] Requirements for holding office
Colombian Constitution of 1991 Article 191: states that the president must be a natural born citizen of Colombia and at least 30 years of age.[3]
[edit] Term of office and election
The president and vice president serve a term of office of four years after being elected by popular vote. Reelection in Colombia was not allowed until November 24, 2005 when the Colombian Congress approved it by introducing the Electoral Guarantees Law (Ley de Garantias Electorales) which modified Article 152, literal f of the Colombian Constitution of 1991. The President or Vice President desiring a reelection must officially postulate its candidacy in the National Electoral Council and guarantee a fair competition for the other contenders, because of this, participation of acting officials in political proselytism was standardized. If the president or vice president are not running for office they are prohibited from participating on political proselytism. If one or both are participating, he/she is authorized to participate in these activities four moths prior to the primary elections. Also, is the president and/or vice president are running for office they will also be authorized to participate in their political party's selection mechanism to postulate candidates.[4]
[edit] Last election
| Parties - Candidates | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Álvaro Uribe Vélez - Colombia First (Primero Colombia) | 7,363,421 | 62.20 | |
| Carlos Gaviria Díaz - Alternative Democratic Pole (Polo Democrático Alternativo) | 2,609,412 | 22.04 | |
| Horacio Serpa Uribe - Colombian Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Colombiano) | 1,401,173 | 11.84 | |
| Antanas Mockus Sivickas - Indigenous Social Alliance Movement (Movimiento Alianza Social Indígena) | 146,540 | 1.24 | |
| Enrique Parejo González - National Democratic Reconstruction (Reconstrucción Democrática Nacional) | 44,610 | 0.38 | |
| Álvaro Leyva Durán - National Movement for Reconciliation (Movimiento Nacional de Reconciliación) | 22,039 | 0.19 | |
| Carlos Arturo Rincón Barreto - Colombian Community and Communal Political Movement (Movimiento Politico Comunal y Comunidad Colombiano) | 20,477 | 0.17 | |
| Total votes for candidates | 11,607,672 | 98.05 | |
| Blank votes | 230,749 | 1.95 | |
| Total valid votes | 11,838,421 | 100.00 | |
| Null votes | 136,326 | ||
| Unmarked ballots | 84,041 | ||
| Total votes cast (turnout 45.1%) | 12,058,788 | ||
| Registered voters | 26,731,700 | ||
| Source: Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil. | |||
[edit] References
- Presidencia de la Republica de Colombia - Funciones Presidenciales
- Georgetown University - Requisites to be President of Colombia
- Presidencia de Colombia - Ley de Garantias Electorales
[edit] See also
- Politics of Colombia
- List of Presidents of Colombia
- Council of Ministers of the Republic of Colombia
