Colombian general election, 1974

The National Front (1958–74)

The initial discussion of the National Front began in 1958 between liberal Alberto Lleras Camargo and conservative Laureano Gomez when they wrote the Pacto de Benidorm, which lead to a 16-year term in which the Liberal and Conservatives would alternate presidency every four years. The National Front was the result of following series of agreements between Camargo and Gomez including The March Pact and the Pacto de Sitges and created a joining force between the Liberal and Conservative parties. The agreement affirmed to assuage interparty strife and distrust due violence and democratic collapse, mainly in response to La Violencia, a civil war which lasted from 1948 to 1958 between the Colombian Conservative Party and Colombian Liberal Party parliamentary forces who organized as armed self-defense and guerrilla military units. The cause of this internal strife was due to the refusal of successive governments to accede to the people's demands for socioeconomic change and instead created a military occupation in Colombia that sent the national economy deep into debt.^[5] General Rojas Pinilla took power in 1953, he declared an amnesty that demobilized most of the armed groups. However, due to conflict with the Liberal and Conservative groups, Rojas was removed from power in 1957, and the Liberal-Conservative parties took over again with their new alliance to try and rehabilitate the economy while maintaining power.

While the National Front reduced violence and helped raise GDP, it resulted in bipartisan stalemate. The Liberal and Conservative parties held nearly half and half power in the Upper and Lower House divisions and were unable to pass reform with a two-third vote since securing bipartisan support for policies was nearly impossible. This inability to create reform created intra-party factionalism that manifested in the creation of party affiliated social movements. The rise of dissident groups opposing the National Front were forming movements to challenge the existing establishment and would eventually become official parties in the 1974 elections.^[6]

Liberal dissenters formed the Liberal Recovery Movement (Spanish: Movimiento de Recuperacion Liberal, later renamed Movimiento Revoluciónario Liberal; MRL) under Alfonso Lopez Michelsen in 1959. In 1961, the populist National Popular Alliance (Spanish: Alianza Nacional Popular; ANAPO) by Gustavo Rojas Pinillas after his return from exile.^[7] As these movements gained power, by 1974, the original Liberal and Conservative parties had become weak and internally factioned, but no longer strongly opposed one another. Also, migration from rural to urban areas weakened party identification and loyalty, reflecting a gap between the political elite and the concerns of the populace.^[8]

Voting

Colombia had universal suffrage for citizens who were at least 21 years of age, registered electors in their respective municipalities, and had not been deprived of their civil or political rights to vote. Voting was non-compulsory. Armed forces on active duty and members of the police force were debarred from participating.^[9]

Presidential elections were conducted under a first-past the post electoral system. Representatives and Senators were elected under a closed list proportional representation (CLPR) system (different districts had different magnitudes, according to population). 22 constituencies made a single Department. Less-densely populated regions were grouped to form 4 or more constituencies. Seat allocation was assigned through simple allocation. Voting for both Chambers took place on the presidential election day.^[10]

The CLPR system promoted intra-party competition but it acted as a single non-transferable vote system. This in turn, promulgated clientelistic relationships between voters and representatives, personalistic voting and party decay.^[11]

Candidate Qualifications

To run for the House of Representatives, candidates must be at least 25 years of age and never been condemned for a non-political offense involving corporal punishment. To run for Senate, candidates must (in addiction to House of Representative qualifications) be at least 30 years of age, Colombian by birth, and held high offices or have undertaken a liberal profession with a university degree.^[12]

The number of seats in both houses of Congress were reduced as seats created to make an even number in each constituency during the National Front period were abolished.^[13]

General Political Considerations and Conduct of the Elections

Colombia's 1973 Congressional elections were held on the same day as presidential election for the first time in 25 years. This presidential election contained three opposition parties of left-wingers, challenging the traditional duality of Conservative and Liberal parties. This was also the end of the 16 year rule of the National Front coalition pact.

All three of the main candidates had Presidents of the Republic as fathers; Personalities were not an important factor.

Following scattered violence during the presidential campaign, election day abstentions were numerous-- only 45 percent of those eligible voted.^[14] However, the amount of citizens who voted was one of the highest recorded voter turnouts in Colombian history.^[15]

The number of seats in both houses of Congress were reduced as seats created to make an even number in each constituency during the National Front period were abolished.^[16]

Liberal Party (Spanish: Partido Liberal Colombiano; PLC)

• Alfonso López Michelsen, from Bogotá, son of former two time president of Colombia, Alfonso López Pumarejo ran on the slogan “A Clear Mandate.” The PLC advocated for a closing of the gap between the rural and the urban populations, for an improvement of the socioeconomic status of the lower class (more than 50%) and for change in the status-quo.^[17]

Conservative Party (Spanish: Partido Conservedor Colombiano; PCC)

• Álvaro Gómez Hurtado, from Bogotá, son of former president of Colombia, Laureano Gómez began his political career as an elected councilman for Bogotá. He then earned a seat in the Chamber of Representatives, Senate, and "plenipotentiary minister." The 1974 election was the first of three unsuccessful runs for president.

National Popular Alliance (Spanish: Alianza Nacional Popular; ANAPO)

• María Eugenia Rojas Correa, the first woman to run for president in all Latin America, daughter of the 46th president of Colombia, Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. María and her father helped create ANAPO in 1961. She served in the Chamber of Representatives and Senate before running for president. ANAPO advocated for the defense of Colombian sovereignty; the incorporation of socialism into the country; and an affirmation that humans must constitute the primordial concern of the state. Maria ran on the slogan “Socialism, Colombian Style,” promising universal healthcare and free education at all levels.^[18]

National Opposition Union (Spanish: Unión Nacional de Oposición; UNO)

• Hernando Echeverri Meija, founder of the Movimiento Amplio Colombiano, a split from ANAPO, broke away claiming that the position of General Rojas Pinilla was authoritarian and monarchical, whose actions would be succeeded by his daughter’s candidacy, María Eugenia. Meija’s electoral platform advocated for anti-imperialism, revolutionary agrarian reform, unionized workers, and democratic freedoms.^[19]

Christian Democratic Party (Spanish: Partido democrático cristiano; PDC)

• Hermes Duarte Arias

Independent

• José Córdoba

President

Leading presidential candidate in each department

  Alfonso López Won

  Álvaro Hurtado won

Senate

Chamber of Representatives