Colombia: What is at stake in the elections for Congress this Sunday?

The Colombians On March 13, they will elect the entire Senate and the House of Representatives, whose composition will be crucial for the governability of the next president of the republic, and where, given the desire for change in the country, there may be a metamorphosis.

The social outbreak and the increase in violence in the regions show a completely different context than the one Colombia it had four years ago, which, according to experts, can reduce the weight of the right-wing parties in the composition of the Legislative.

SIGHT: Elections in Colombia 2022: where to vote, how to vote and everything about legislative votes

In total, 934 candidates were registered for the 108 seats in the Senateof which 5 are already guaranteed for the match commonarising from the demobilization of the FARCas part of the peace agreement signed by the Government and the guerrillas in 2016.

As well, 1,498 citizens aspire to occupy the 188 seats in the House of Representativesin which the 16 peace seats for the victims will be premiered and in which also common It has 5 seats.

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The main novelties of the electoral cards this year are the reappearances of the parties New Liberalism, National Salvation Movement (right) and the Metapolitical Unitary Movementof an esoteric nature, which had disappeared more than 20 years ago, as well as the debut of the feminist We are readythe leftist Citizen Force and the right-wing Gente Nueva.

Two people cross in front of an electoral fence. (EFE/ Mauricio Dueñas Castañeda).

One of the unknowns will be the representation that the leftist will obtain in Congress Historical Pact -of which the presidential candidate is part Gustavo Petro, leading the polls– and the results that the official can obtain Democratic Centerthe largest legislative caucus today and that will not have the former president on its list Alvaro Uribehis great electoral baron.

DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE

This year’s legislative elections bring with them a different political landscape than in 2018 due to the violent protests of 2019 and the social unrest last year, in which thousands of people took to the streets to reject the economic and social policy of the President’s government Ivan Duke.

For Patricia Muñoz, research professor at the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations of the Javeriana University, there is a “moderate expectation” of renewal of Congress which is driven by the social crisis that the country has experienced during this government, not only because of the protests but because of the pandemic.

“In these last four years there is a background that generates a greater expectation regarding the renewal processes”assures Efe and adds that among what precedes the elections appear “the disagreements that have been made manifest by the citizens since 2019 through the protests, which had overtones of violence and were later postponed due to the pandemic.”

Several people pass in front of electoral propaganda. Colombians will elect the entire Senate and the House of Representatives on March 13. (EFE/ Mauricio Dueñas Castañeda).

LOW OUTLOOK FOR EXCHANGE

However, Professor Andrés Dávila, who also works at the Javeriana University, considers that “There are not going to be big changes in the results of Congress.”

“Perhaps the most noticeable change may be an increase in the weight of the (leftist) Historical Pactthat raises an interesting number of seats”points to Eph.

The expert considers that abstention will remain at around 50%as has happened historically, “despite everything that has happened”, because young people rarely go out to vote despite the fact that they were the protagonists of the demonstrations.

“What we experienced in the ‘national strike’ was not minor, nor is it negligible, but there is one very interesting thing about the Colombian case and that is the difficulties of politically channeling what was protested”Explain.

Dávila assures that social protest has not been taken advantage of in the campaign for Congress, as happened in Chile, and, on the contrary, he does not believe that “it is having a direct impact” on that road to the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“I do not believe that the Historical Pact will succeed in breaking the predominance of the center-right, they can take a few more seats, they can have a little more weight but it will be a weight that is not decisive. I do not see that this is going to change, we are very far from a scenario like that of the Chilean Constitution”, says the teacher.

The composition of Congress will be crucial for the governability of the next president of the republic. (EFE/ Mauricio Dueñas Castañeda).

NEW VOICES, DIFFERENT AGENDA

On the other side, Professor Muñoz says that there may be “an adjustment” in the size of the benches, since she believes that the forces in which the traditional political class is active -Party of the U, Conservative, Liberal, Radical Change and Center Democratic – will see their legislative representation reduced.

“It can be expected that other parties, such as the New Liberalism, which has just regained legal status; that the Historical Pact, which are the forces of the left, and that the Centro Esperanza Coalition, can increase the number of congressmen for representing the opposition sector to the government in power”he assures.

Beyond what happens next Sunday, the agenda of the new Congress should be focused on finding solutions to the problems that triggered the social outbreak and that reflect the needs of citizens, who have the Senate and the House as two of the institutions worst rated in the polls.

Among them are the economic and social recovery after the pandemic, especially related to education and employment opportunities; the strengthening of justice; growing insecurity, both in cities and rural areas, and corruption.

“I believe that another great task for Congress is the recovery of confidence levels. Congress needs citizens to believe more, to be able to channel their demands through Congress and to be able to effectively represent the interests of the majority of citizens”, concludes Muñoz.

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Source: Elcomercio