The president of Colombia is the elected citizen who is in charge of being the administrative authority of the country. Know them requirements to be president of Colombia It is something key for all citizens, since even those who do not aspire to the position must handle the basic information.
In Colombia, the president also serves as head of state and government, thus being the country’s greatest political force.
At his side, the other positions that hold power in Colombia are the office ministers, the superintendents and the directors of the different administrative departments.
In case you are interested in aspiring to the position one day or, failing that, you just want to know the requirements, in this article we will tell you everything you need to know.
In the following lines you will be able to read everything about the function of the presidents, the requirements to be it, the forms of election and the time of the mandate.
What are the Requirements to be President of Colombia?
As in any country, to become president of the Republic the citizen in question it must meet a number of requirements. These details may vary depending on the country, as the political culture and laws of each are very different.
As for Colombia, the requirements to be president of the nation and head of State and Government are the following:
- Be Colombian by birth.
- Be a citizen in full exercise of the respective functions.
- Be at least 30 years of age.
Obviously political reasons, including campaigns and elections, give extra requirements on the fly. In general, presidents are charismatic people with the power of conviction, an additional requirement that helps them to govern with greater ease.
However, the requirements that we present to you are the main requirements to qualify for the position and, if elected, take it. None of these three is negotiable, since all citizens who want to be presidents must fully comply with each of them.
Features
Being president of Colombia brings with it all the logical responsibilities that this position deserves. By being elected Head of State and Government, you will be in charge of multiple tasks, which will guide the country, in the best of cases, to political stability.
The main functions of the President of Colombia can be summarized as follows:
- Appoint and separate all its ministries and departments. This includes the fact of electing those who will carry these positions, whose functions are of great importance for the well-being of the country.
- Be in charge of the country’s international relations, since all border and foreign policy issues that include Colombia must go through the president. In this aspect, diplomats and ambassadors are also appointed in charge of different functions.
- To be the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic, which implies becoming the leader of the military forces.
- Ensure order and tranquility throughout the national territory.
- Initiate and conclude the sessions of Congress in each of the corresponding legislatures.
- Present reports to congress after all legislatures.
- Pass all laws.
- Appoint the presidents and citizens in charge of the national public entities.
- Eliminate or merge organizations in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the Constitution of Colombia.
While there are other secondary functions that are inherent to the position, this list summarizes the most important ones. The duties of a president are very broad, since a large part of the social, political and economic well-being of any country depends on the fulfillment of all his tasks.
Additionally, the moral duties of a president of Colombia are serve the country and defend the country at all times. Therefore, Colombian leaders must always ensure the integrity of the nation and have Colombians as a priority when making any decision.
Who cannot be President of Colombia?
Now, just as there are a series of requirements to be president of Colombia, there are also some impediments that do not let you be. First of all, citizens who cannot be presidents are those who do not meet the three requirements that we discussed previously.
In addition to this, the main obstacle established by the constitution is that you cannot be president if the previous year you had a high political position. That is, in Colombia, citizens who, in the previous year, have been ministers, department directors, magistrates, prosecutors, among others, cannot elect for the position.
Additionally, citizens with criminal records may not be presidents either. All those Colombians who have received a judicial sentence, whenever it may be, are disqualified from opting for the position.
Finally, neither can citizens who lose the investiture of congressman and those who are nationalized run. Regarding the latter, the constitutional rules make it clear that only Colombians by birth have the right to be presidents of the country.
How is the President of Colombia Elected?
In Colombia, as in all South American countries, the president is elected through direct suffrage. It is an election format attached to democracy, in which the candidate who has the massive support of the voters wins.
However, the great difference from the Colombian election process to the rest is that the winner must have 50% of the votes plus one. This amount is sought in the first round of the election, in which all candidates who have run for office participate.
In case the results of the first round do not give any candidate 50% plus one, we proceed to a second round. In this process, the lower candidates are discarded and only the two applicants who have obtained the highest number of votes in the first round remain.
With this scenario established, the votes are repeated, but with only two candidates. At the end of this election, the citizen with the highest number of votes will be the winner and, consequently, the new president of Colombia.
Once the president is determined, the act of taking office is carried out. At this moment the citizen accepts the position, for which he can begin to exercise his mandate and make decisions inherent to his power.
Academic qualifications necessary to be President of Colombia
As mentioned in the main requirements, to run for the presidency you only need to be Colombian and be over 30 years of age. No higher-level university degree is necessary as part of the requirements to be president of Colombia.
While it is true that part of the credentials of a president are his studies, this is not an impediment to being president in Colombia. Its constitution clearly states that all citizens, as long as they meet the above requirements, can run for the presidency of the country.
Likewise, a degree almost inherent in the application of the public powers may be the culmination of high school, since it is a minimum degree of basic instruction. Even so, it is not determined within the constitution or any specific requirements that the president must comply with this fact.
In this way it is evidenced that any citizen, as long as he meets the nationality requirement and the minimum age, can opt for the position. Undoubtedly, in this regard, the Colombian constitution forms a set of inclusive laws, in which any citizen can be president of the Republic.
Term of office
The duration of the presidents’ mandate in Colombia, according to the current constitution, it is four years. This period is also marked as a limit for the other public servants of the government, including the vice president of the country.
This term of office begins on August 7 of the respective year of the election. Before this date, both the president and the vice president must comply with the act of taking office, which results in their officialization as head of State and Government in Colombia.
The fact of starting the mandate on this date is an act that is not contemplated in the law. Despite this, Colombian presidents have taken office on this date since 1886, which could be seen as a kind of political tradition in the country.
As a side note, it should be noted that re-election is not allowed in Colombia. The Constitution of the Republic says so, since in this way it is avoided that the rulers seize power and do not give rise to new presidents.
Therefore, another general impediment is that no citizen can be president of Colombia twice. This article has been part of the constitution since 2015 and is number 193.
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