The Constitutional Court had to decide about possible procedure and formal errors during the discussion of the amendment (Acto Legislativo) in Congress, as well as the legislative's competence to process that reform. Some analysts argued that there had been errors, that the debate had not been fully accomplished and that several of Uribe supporter's employed clientelist tactics to achieve the amendment's approval. The government and its supporters argued that the amendment had been discussed more than any other legislative project in the history of Colombia and dismissed the importance of the errors that would have occured during the debate. Reactions "The Congress of Colombia and the Constitutional Court, with their autonomous decisions, have developed the important issue in the 1991 Constitution of leaving sovereignity to the people. (...) The presidential re-election implies more responsabilities with the people than with history. (...) I'm not going to let myself be tempted by vanities", Álvaro Uribe Vélez, president of Colombia. "I had said that whatever the Court's decision was, as a respectable institution, I would observe it, but I can't agree with it. [The decision's implications for the country] are negative. We don't support re-election in the terms it was approved. We fear that Uribe's (political) proposal may be successful for more time.": Carlos Gaviria Díaz, former Constitutional Court magistrate and left-wing presidential candidate. "The Court was able to put the institutions over any passion and intrigue. Because of the qualities of the justification, it gives us the warranty they voted consciously": Antanas Mockus, former National University of Colombia director, former Mayor of Bogotá and independent presidential candidate. "I think the Court evaded the issue of equality, saying it didn't have to do a content control on the Constitution, but I fully observe the decision. (...) It's a long-term change, it's not simply to re-elect one president. I think the pains of this decision will be felt in the future, because the ex-presidents have been resurrected": Antonio Navarro Wolff, Independent Democratic Pole's presidential candidate. "I really can just say now we're a democracy and we must observe the Court's decision. (...) For equality it's necessary that governors and mayors to be able to aspire for the presidency": Enrique Peñalosa, former Mayor of Bogotá and presidential candidate. "I respect and observe the Constitutional Court's decision that allows presidential re-election. Besides, I invite all the Colombian people to do the same. (...) The most immediate implication is the opening of the electoral process. A contradiction between two alliances is next": Horacio Serpa Uribe, Colombian Liberal Party presidential pre-candidate. "We observe the Court's decision. We censor the intimidatory voices from the government coalition's spokespersons. (...) We're going to have immediate re-election and that change is crucial because, besides the president, the civil servants will also be making politics": César Gaviria Trujillo, former president of Colombia, former OAS general secretary and Colombian Liberal Party chief. "I'm sure the financial market will wake up as quiet as in previous days. I clearly understand that this decision is favorable for the Colombian economy, which is having an excellent moment. (The decision) generates tranquility and consolidates economy's good moment": Alberto Carrasquilla, Colombian finance minister. "All the "Uribism" wins, its ideas, its political positions and its people, because they guarantee through the re-election that they'll continue in power. At the beginning, the ex-presidents may win too, because they could become candidates. It may be expected that presidential candidates, such as Horacio Serpa, may withdraw their aspirations, and the possibility may become open for Gaviria to become a candidate. The political system loses because power becomes customized for (the benefit of) a single person": Jaime Castro, former Mayor of Bogotá and political analist. "The big winners would be the will of the majority of Congress, in this Constitutional reform, and of course, the president of the republic": Juan Manuel Charry, constitutionalist. "It's not ethical that the president can be a candidate at the same time that he's spending the public resources in his campaign": Carlos Rodríguez, from the Workers' Unitary Central. "The Court shouldn't pass a re-election attached to a proper name, one which did not consider the re-election of governors and mayors": Julio Roberto Gómez, from the Workers' General Confederation. "The president can control the Bank of the Republic and the control institutions. Re-election is not good for Colombia because we might fall into an authoritarian presidential regime": Camilo González Posso, from the NGO "Instituto para el Desarrollo y la Paz". "As for the traders guild, we like the re-election in order to be able to elect a person who has been a good president": Guillermo Botero, president of the National Federation of Traders (Fenalco).
The Constitutional Court had to decide about possible procedure and formal errors during the discussion of the amendment (Acto Legislativo) in Congress, as well as the legislative's competence to process that reform. Some analysts argued that there had been errors, that the debate had not been fully accomplished and that several of Uribe supporter's employed clientelist tactics to achieve the amendment's approval. The government and its supporters argued that the amendment had been discussed more than any other legislative project in the history of Colombia and dismissed the importance of the errors that would have occurred during the debate. Reactions "The Congress of Colombia and the Constitutional Court, with their autonomous decisions, have developed the important issue in the 1991 Constitution of leaving sovereignty to the people. (...) The presidential re-election implies more responsibilities with the people than with history. (...) I'm not going to let myself be tempted by vanities", Álvaro Uribe Vélez, president of Colombia. "I had said that whatever the Court's decision was, as a respectable institution, I would observe it, but I can't agree with it. [The decision's implications for the country] are negative. We don't support re-election in the terms it was approved. We fear that Uribe's (political) proposal may be successful for more time.": Carlos Gaviria Díaz, former Constitutional Court magistrate and left-wing presidential candidate. "The Court was able to put the institutions over any passion and intrigue. Because of the qualities of the justification, it gives us the warranty they voted consciously": Antanas Mockus, former National University of Colombia director, former Mayor of Bogotá and independent presidential candidate. "I think the Court evaded the issue of equality, saying it didn't have to do a content control on the Constitution, but I fully observe the decision. (...) It's a long-term change, it's not simply to re-elect one president. I think the pains of this decision will be felt in the future, because the ex-presidents have been resurrected": Antonio Navarro Wolff, Independent Democratic Pole's presidential candidate. "I really can just say now we're a democracy and we must observe the Court's decision. (...) For equality it's necessary that governors and mayors to be able to aspire for the presidency": Enrique Peñalosa, former Mayor of Bogotá and presidential candidate. "I respect and observe the Constitutional Court's decision that allows presidential re-election. Besides, I invite all the Colombian people to do the same. (...) The most immediate implication is the opening of the electoral process. A contradiction between two alliances is next": Horacio Serpa Uribe, Colombian Liberal Party presidential pre-candidate. "We observe the Court's decision. We censor the intimidatory voices from the government coalition's spokespersons. (...) We're going to have immediate re-election and that change is crucial because, besides the president, the civil servants will also be making politics": César Gaviria Trujillo, former president of Colombia, former OAS general secretary and Colombian Liberal Party chief. "I'm sure the financial market will wake up as quiet as in previous days. I clearly understand that this decision is favorable for the Colombian economy, which is having an excellent moment. (The decision) generates tranquility and consolidates economy's good moment": Alberto Carrasquilla, Colombian finance minister. "All the "Uribism" wins, its ideas, its political positions and its people, because they guarantee through the re-election that they'll continue in power. At the beginning, the ex-presidents may win too, because they could become candidates. It may be expected that presidential candidates, such as Horacio Serpa, may withdraw their aspirations, and the possibility may become open for Gaviria to become a candidate. The political system loses because power becomes customized for (the benefit of) a single person": Jaime Castro, former Mayor of Bogotá and political analist. "The big winners would be the will of the majority of Congress, in this Constitutional reform, and of course, the president of the republic": Juan Manuel Charry, constitutionalist. "It's not ethical that the president can be a candidate at the same time that he's spending the public resources in his campaign": Carlos Rodríguez, from the Workers' Unitary Central. "The Court shouldn't pass a re-election attached to a proper name, one which did not consider the re-election of governors and mayors": Julio Roberto Gómez, from the Workers' General Confederation. "The president can control the Bank of the Republic and the control institutions. Re-election is not good for Colombia because we might fall into an authoritarian presidential regime": Camilo González Posso, from the NGO "Instituto para el Desarrollo y la Paz". "As for the traders guild, we like the re-election in order to be able to elect a person who has been a good president": Guillermo Botero, president of the National Federation of Traders (Fenalco).
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