Colombia's Uribe suggests he won't run again

[Bacchus39]

AP: Colombia's Uribe suggests he won't run again

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090311/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_colombia_uribe;_ylt=ArYCth0qla0pMqsLmjTpn5u3IxIF


.By VIVIAN SEQUERA, Associated Press Writer Vivian Sequera, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 1 min ago. AP – Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Bogota, Wednesday, … .BOGOTA – Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said Wednesday that he won't stand in the way of a close ally in next year's election, despite efforts by his backers to amend the constitution to let him seek a third term.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Uribe refused to rule out another run for the presidency, but suggested he'll give someone else a chance to continue his legacy.

"There are some close allies who are making and are going to make a big push to win the people's favor and get to the presidency," Uribe said. "I wouldn't be the person to frustrate those efforts."

In an interview in the "Yellow Room" of his presidential palace, Uribe said he isn't concerned about remaining in power personally, but that he wants to ensure that any successor would continue his military crackdown on leftist rebels, which has brought down kidnapping and murder rates and made Colombia attractive to foreign investment.

Uribe's allies changed the constitution to enable his re-election in 2006, and a third term would require yet another change. While the United States has criticized Uribe's leftist rivals in Latin America for constitutional amendments removing limits on their re-election, it has so far remained silent on a possible third term for its ally Uribe.

Uribe did not respond to questions about several sensitive issues, but appeared in good humor during the 40-minute interview, smiling as he concluded answers with: "Let's leave it at that."

The president refused to offer details on his government's discussions with the United States to host a base for counternarcotics flights. Washington currently runs flights out of a base in the Ecuadorean city of Manta, but its lease expires in November and has not been renewed.

Uribe also refused to discuss ties with neighboring Venezuela and Ecuador, which have been tense over accusations by senior Colombian officials that those countries provide refuge to Colombian rebel leaders.

Uribe, 56, was first elected in 2002 and with U.S. assistance — Washington has given Colombia more than $6 billion since 2000 to fight drugs and leftist insurgents — has seriously hobbled the rebels.

A Gallup poll released last week shows Uribe's domestic popularity at 69 percent — the first time in six years it has dropped below 70 percent. The poll of 1,000 people in four cities has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.