Colombian Update Anti Corruption Referendum Fails - Significance

WHY AM I EVEN SURPRISED

After 13 years or so in country you always hope that even after so many disappointments, after so many missed opportunities, after so many missteps that Colombia might be ready to get serious about its future and of the direction it needs to go - but once again Colombia amidst its democratic process has come up short in a spectacular fashion. The Senate in an action supported by the new President charged the country to come out and vote yesterday, not everyone, just 33% of the electoral body (12,140,342) to vote on seven aspects related to corruption - but simply put they could't be bothered because in an election where all the major candidates ran on supposedly anti-corruption platforms (very much the soupe du jour admittedly) and where 19.5 million voted in June (still a miserly 53% turnout) they simply could not get enough people behind the referendum. Now there are those trumpeting the fact that 11.6mn people did vote amd 99% of them in favour, I of course see that argument - I also a country of 50mn people that needs to start taking responsibility for itself, to mature in terms of the democracy it is, once again there are no free riders allowed, if you don't like something then get up, get dressed and spend 15 minutes voting (not even that as the Colombian electoral centres are very efficient) - if not don't complain. ALL TO BLAME

Whilst it would be easy to blame the Centro Democratic Party (CDP) and their leader's opposition to the vote, I am referring of course to Alvaro Uribe and to a minor extent the leader of the Senate Nestor Macias, the opposition who have championed this vote ever since its inception in Congress need to also take a very long look at themselves.

If we set aside the CDP it is worth noting that the combined first round electoral votes of Petro, Fajardo and De La Calle should have been enough to see the vote home, even without counting those supporters of the CDP who I know for a fact did go out and back the vote.

People who are disenchanted with the outcome of June's election had every excuse to come out and vote especially those who are furious with FinMin Carrasquilla after his comments on VAT this week in Cartagena but it appears even the concept of paying more taxes into system who's corruption is regularly highlighted by opinion polls as the country's top problem was not enough. There is an apathy around this nation which is dumbfounding even in a world where political participation is on the wain, it would be more preferable had 20 million people turned out to vote and all seven points had been defeated, it is close to unacceptable that everyone simply leaves the job to someone else - it reeks of the same situation that occurred during the 2016 plebiscite when only 37.5% of the populous bothered to vote, I guess if you can't be bothered to vote on the end of an armed conflict a few missing Pesos is hardly going to cut it, again irrespective of how you vote. AWKWARD

President Duque has lost some credibility in the same way Prime Minister Cameron lost it over Brexit - he came out and supported the referendum but his party leaders stood against him, their reasoning being that the newly elected Congress should be trusted to put itself and the rest of the political structure in order, regular readers will know that Ivan wasn't my first choice for the job but I am starting to feel sympathy for him.

Even in the first weeks of Duque's Presidency we have seen him struggle to find consensus on anything for the self same reason that he is, admirably, not prepared to pay favours to other political parties in terms of appointments etc and now ironically that is exactly what he will have to do if any sort of consensus for any sort of action on corruption is to be achieved.

Last night the President was on TV rightly demanding that Congress take action on corruption and the promoters of the referendum were demanding the 7 points be placed before Congress for approval - again my apologies to those promoters who are selling this as a victory but it wasn't - as per the plebiscite in 2016 second is nowhere.

As for asking the Congress to police themselves and perhaps more crucially the local politicians do I really need to point out the slight flaw in that thesis ? Yes 11.6 million votes (99% in support) is more than Duque or Petro received in June but equally this was a theme that supposedly united the nation for the past six months. THE CAR LIMPS ON

A week ago I drew the analogy of the car with a slow puncture, you feel the air slowly coming out but decide to limp along even though it affects the speed of progress. I urged Colombia to take the chance to change the tyre before the car got too badly damaged - well it looks like the air will continue to leak out as non-voters have effectively decided on the following :

"Members of Congress fully deserve salaries of up to 40x the minimum wage whilst turning up for work as much or little as they want - they can do this until they are 100 years old if they like. They do not having to account where their own assets come from, whilst presiding over a tendering processes that aren't particularly transparent and if they do happen to get caught up in corruption after a few years jail time they can continue participating in those tenders".

Sound like a plan.......... NEXT REFERENDUM Clearly it is time that people reconnected with politics in Colombia and I have come up with the following plan for the next one, maybe then they will cme out and vote : Please vote yes or no to the following proposals to better the lives of the Colombian people : All votes of 50%+1 will be passed into law tomorrow : 1. Alcohol prices to be reduced by 50% 2. Overtaking on blind corners to be recognized as part of the national heritage. 3. Friday afternoons prior to long weekends to be officially recognized for what they really are and long weekends to be extended to three and a half days. 4.Queuing to be officially outlawed. 5.Annoying Englishmen who insist on meetings being on time to banished to the moon...if not further.