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This is a very big deal...

Colombia's Uribe Given Green Light to Run
By CESAR GARCIA, Associated Press Writer Fri Nov 11, 8:42 PM ET
BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia's highest court approved a law Friday that clears the way for popular President Alvaro Uribe to run for a second term next year.
Polls show that Uribe, a close U.S. ally, would sweep to victory in next May's presidential race thanks to his tough policies against leftist rebels and drug traffickers.
The Constitutional Court ruled that the Electoral Guarantees Law, which was passed by Congress last year to set out the rules for sitting presidents to compete in elections, was constitutional, said the court president Jose Manuel Cepeda.
The decision removes the final hurdle for Uribe to put his name on the ballot.
"We are obviously very pleased," said Interior and Justice Minister Sabas Pretelt.
This South American country has not seen a president elected to two consecutive terms since the 1800s. Critics of the measure say re-election has a poor track record in the region, with second-term leaders often veering toward authoritarianism.
But Uribe is hugely popular among Colombians and his supporters pushed legislation through Congress last year that lifts a long-standing ban on presidential re-election. That measure was approved by the Constitutional Court last month.
The court, however, set limits on Uribe's ability to use state funds and institutions to promote his re-election. It barred him from using the presidential palace as his campaign headquarters or have his speeches broadcast on the state's official television channel.
"The president has made clear that he will abide by all the court's requirements," Pretelt told RCN television.
Opposition leaders praised the court's decision to impose restrictions. "The court certainly improved the Electoral Guarantees Law" by ensuring greater fairness among contenders, said former Bogota Mayor Antanas Mockus, who is expected to run against Uribe.