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### Viewing cable 04BOGOTA13217, OVERVIEW OF CONGRESSIONAL SESSION

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
04BOGOTA13217 | 2004-11-02 18:31 | 2011-04-29 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Bogota

`

    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

` `

    id: 22390
    date: 11/2/2004 18:31
    refid: 04BOGOTA13217
    origin: Embassy Bogota
    classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
    destination: 04BOGOTA12860
    header:
    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

    ----------------- header ends ----------------

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 013217

    SIPDIS

    SENSITIVE

    SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD

    E.O. 12958: DNG: UN 12/30/2014
    TAGS: PGOV ECON KJUS CO
    SUBJECT: OVERVIEW OF CONGRESSIONAL SESSION

    REF: A) BOGOTA 12860

    B) BOGOTA 9325
    C) BOGOTA 8856
    D) BOGOTA 7424

    ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Passage of presidential reelection
    reform and implementing legislation for a new criminal
    procedure code were the principal accomplishments of the
    last session of Congress.  Political wrangling prevented
    the Congress from dealing effectively with key pension and
    tax reform bills.  Media coverage claiming Congressional
    indolence, a circus-like appearance before Congress by
    paramilitary leaders, and a decision by the Constitutional
    Court to strike down anti-terrorism legislation based on
    procedural irregularities were low points.  President
    Uribe has continued to maintain high approval ratings in
    spite of tension with the Legislative Branch.  Congress is
    ignoring public opinion at its own peril.  End Summary.

    ¶2. (U) The most notable accomplishment of the July-
    December Congressional session was passage of
    Constitutional reform to permit presidential reelection
    (ref A).  That issue occupied a large portion of the
    Congressional agenda during the period.  In addition,
    Congress passed (and the President signed) a new criminal
    procedure code (ref B), which will bring an accusatory
    (oral) criminal justice system into force on January 1 in
    Bogota and the Coffee Region Departments (Caldas, Quindio,
    and Risaralda).  Congress also passed legislation to
    implement the new penal code and organizational law of the
    Prosecutor General's Office (Fiscalia) and completed the
    first two of the required four rounds of approval of
    pension reform legislation, including measures to end
    additional monthly payments and special pension regimes
    and cap the highest pensions at 25 times the minimum wage.

    ¶3. (SBU) Congress was unable to pass legislation on tax
    reform, a key component of President Uribe's domestic
    agenda, and the prolonged impasse over the issue
    negatively impacted the session's productivity.  Working
    together with the GOC, various proposals were floated in
    Congress concerning changes to the value added tax (VAT).
    Debate centered on expanding the basket of taxable items
    at a lower rate, or raising the VAT on currently taxed
    items.  Toward the end of the session, lawmakers from the
    Conservative (normally allied with the President) and
    Officialist Liberal Parties, and several small left-of-
    center movements, walked out, killing fiscal reform for
    ¶2004.

    ¶4.  (SBU) Uribista (pro-Uribe) Liberals reneged on earlier
    commitments to Conservatives, Officialist Liberals, and
    center-left movements to support a so-called "Opposition
    Statute," which would have mandated that the second-place
    party in presidential elections be awarded the
    directorships of governmental watchdog agencies such as
    the Inspector General's Office (Procuraduria) and the
    Comptroller (Contraloria).  The backlash from
    Conservatives over this issue torpedoed other key pieces
    of legislation.  The "Bancadas" law, geared toward
    strengthening internal party discipline within the
    Congress, is under consideration by the House but has made
    little progress.  The legislation, which would require the
    naming of whips and would strictly allocate debate time
    based on party size, has met with resistance from the
    small center-left parties, Officialist Liberals, and even
    some Uribistas.

    ¶5. (SBU) Media attention on empty plenary sessions, early
    suspension of planned debates, and other signs of
    procedural wrangling caused a deterioration of the
    public's already low opinion of Congress.  Of all public
    institutions in Colombia, the Congress is consistently
    viewed in the most negative light in major polls.
    Congress' standing with the public and leading media
    outlets also suffered from the circus-like atmosphere of
    an appearance in Congress by paramilitary commanders in
    July (ref D).  In addition, the Constitutional Court's
    decision to strike down controversial anti-terrorism
    legislation passed by Congress (ref C) called the
    institution's deliberative mechanisms into question.  The
    Court overturned the legislation based on alleged coercion
    and fraudulent vote counting.  Tension between the
    Congress and high courts--including draft legislation to
    abolish the Constitutional Court--could spill over into
    2005 as the Court hears suits brought against various
    pieces of legislation.

    ¶6. (SBU) Comment:  With Congressional and Presidential
    elections scheduled for March and May 2006, respectively,
    the relationship between the executive and legislative
    branches will grow more politicized.  Some of the proposed
    tax measures would affect middle and upper-middle class
    Colombians, and are a difficult sell.  In addition,
    members of Congress are starting to focus on their
    reelection prospects, and their voting will become even
    more focused on local issues, including patronage and
    pork, two areas in which Uribe has not been willing to
    accommodate legislators.  Uribe's integrity may have
    earned points with voters, but not with the legislators,
    who would benefit from more political largesse.

    WOOD

    =======================CABLE ENDS============================

`