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Alternative Democratic Pole

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Alternative Democratic Pole
Polo Democrático Alternativo
PresidentAlexander Lopez
Senate leaderIván Cepeda Castro
FoundedDecember 2005; 19 years ago (2005-12)
HeadquartersBogotá, Colombia
IdeologySocial democracy[1][2]
Democratic socialism
Progressivism
Protectionism
Political positionLeft-wing[3][4][5][6]
National affiliationHistoric Pact for Colombia
Regional affiliationSão Paulo Forum
Colours  Yellow
Chamber of Representatives
2 / 172
Senate
5 / 108
Website
www.polodemocratico.net

The Alternative Democratic Pole (Spanish: Polo Democrático Alternativo or PDA) is a social democratic political party in Colombia.[7]

It was founded as a political alliance of the Independent Democratic Pole (PDI) and the Democratic Alternative (AD) in December 2005. Both parties opposed the neoliberal economic program, securitization and militarization of Colombia under then-President Álvaro Uribe.[6] Subsequently, it was the only parliamentary party to declare opposition to the government of Juan Manuel Santos, and has joined the opposition against the government of Ivan Duque.

As of 2009, a considerable part of PDA politicians consist of former guerrilla fighters who gave up armed struggle and demobilized during the late 1980s and early 1990s.[8] As of 2012, a considerable part of PDA politicians including the former guerrilla fighters are affiliated by will to the Green Party[9] or to Movimiento Progresistas,[10] or by disciplinary action to Marcha Patriótica,[11] instead of PDA.

Political development

The PDI and AD initially had their own pre-candidates for the 2006 presidential race. PDI had nominated Antonio Navarro (former leader of M-19) and AD had nominated Carlos Gaviria.

In a primary election held on March 12, 2006, Gaviria won the presidential nomination of the PDA.

In the simultaneous legislative elections of 2006, the party won 9 out of 166 Deputies and 11 out of 100 senators.

At the presidential elections of 28 May 2006, Carlos Gaviria came second with 22.04% of the vote, 2,613,157 votes.[12] This was the highest ever result for a left-wing candidate in Colombia's history.[7] Thus, the party replaced the long-standing Liberal Party as the country's second force and main opposition party.[4]

After the election, the PDA was successful in gaining the support of groups representing the indigenous movement which affiliated with the coalition.[3] Also, on its fourth national congress, the guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN) commented favorably about the PDA's electoral performance and declared that political action should take precedence over armed struggle.[13] Though, PDA is not related to guerrillas or any other armed factions as they clearly state in their founding doctrine: "We oppose to war and to the exercise of violence as means to political action".[14]

The PDA could further consolidate its organization and gain support on a local level.[15] In October 2007, the PDA's candidate, Samuel Moreno Rojas won the mayoral election in Colombia's capital Bogotá.[16]

In the 2010 congressional election, PDA's support declined. It won 7.8% of votes and 8 of 100 seats in the Senate, and 5.9% of the vote and 4 of 164 seats in the House of Representatives, demoting it to the sixth rank among parliamentary parties. Before the election, a faction of the PDA had split off and joined the Green Party.[17]

Clara Lopez was the party's candidate for the 2014 presidential election;[18][19] she placed fourth in the first round of the election, receiving 1,958,414 votes, representing 15.23%.[20]

Electoral history

Presidential elections

Election year Candidate # votes % vote Result Note
2006 Carlos Gaviria Díaz 2,609,412 22.04% (2nd) Red XN Defeated
2010 Gustavo Petro 1,331,267 9.14% (4th) Red XN Defeated
2014 Clara López Obregón 1,958,414 15.23% (4th) Red XN Defeated

See also

References

  1. ^ Schirmer, Jennifer (2009), "A Norwegian-Supported Peace Building Project: Conversations among Security Forces, Former Guerillas, and Civil Society", Colombia: Building Peace in a Time of War, United States Institute of Peace, p. 407
  2. ^ Rochlin, James F. (2007), Social Forces and the Revolution in Military Affairs: The Cases of Colombia and Mexico, Palgrave Macmillan, p. 90
  3. ^ a b Houghton, Juan (2008), "Colombia", The Indigenous World 2008, International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), p. 136
  4. ^ a b Taylor, Steven L.; Botero Jaramillo, Felipe; Crisp, Brian F. (2008), "Precandidates, Candidates, and Presidents: Paths to the Colombian Presidency", Pathways to Power, Pennsylvania State University Press, p. 291
  5. ^ Roldán, Mary (2010), "End of Discussion: Violence, Participatory Democracy, and the Limits of Dissent in Colombia", Violent Democracies in Latin America, Duke University Press, p. 64
  6. ^ a b Hristov, Jasmin (2009), Blood & Capital: The Paramilitarization of Colombia, Ohio University Press, p. 144
  7. ^ a b Rochlin, James F. (2007), Social Forces and the Revolution in Military Affairs: The Cases of Colombia and Mexico, Palgrave Macmillan, p. 83
  8. ^ Schirmer, Jennifer (2009), "A Norwegian-Supported Peace Building Project: Conversations among Security Forces, Former Guerillas, and Civil Society", Colombia: Building Peace in a Time of War, United States Institute of Peace, p. 406
  9. ^ Diario, El Espectador. "El M19 está apoderándose del Partido Verde".
  10. ^ Diario, El Universal. "Gustavo Petro renuncia a filas del Polo Democrático".
  11. ^ Revista, Semana. "Partido Comunista "sí está fuera del Polo": Comité Ejecutivo Nacional".
  12. ^ National Registry of Civil State, results of the 2006 presidential election. http://www.registraduria.gov.co/resprelec2006/0528/index.htm Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Valencia, León (2009), "The ELN's Halting Moves toward Peace", Colombia: Building Peace in a Time of War, United States Institute of Peace, p. 99
  14. ^ Partido, Polo Democrático Alternativo. "Ideario de Unidad". Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  15. ^ Hudson, Rex A. (2010), Colombia: A country study (Fifth ed.), Library of Congress Federal Research Division, p. xli
  16. ^ Hudson, Rex A. (2010), Colombia: A country study (Fifth ed.), Library of Congress Federal Research Division, p. xxvi
  17. ^ Kline, Harvey F. (2012), Historical Dictionary of Colombia, Scarecrow Press, p. 404
  18. ^ "Clara López es la candidata a la Presidencia por el Polo Democrático". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Bogotá, Colombia. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  19. ^ "Clara López, candidata del Polo para presidenciales de 2014". El Espectador (in Spanish). Bogotá, Colombia. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  20. ^ "Resolución No. 10368: Por la cual se establece el calendario Electoral para las elecciones de Presidente y Vicepresidente de la República (primera vuelta) para el período Constitucional 2014–2018" (PDF). Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil. 10 October 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
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