US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA9301

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 009301 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, CO, VE, Elections 
SUBJECT: CONSERVATIVE PARTY FOCUSES ON WOMEN VOTERS 
 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (SBU) The Conservative Party unofficially inaugurated its 
campaign season with a conference aimed at increasing women's 
political participation.  The event offered data on women's 
participation in the GOC, as well as criticism of Venezuelan 
President Hugo Chavez by the director of a Venezuelan women's 
political group.  However, while the conference's stated goal 
was to increase women's participation beyond voting, the real 
goal may have been to increase the number voting Conservative 
in 2006. 
 
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Conservative Party Takes an Interest in Women 
in Colombia and the Region 
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2. (U) On September 16-17, the Colombian Conservative Party 
(PCC) sponsored a conference aimed at increasing women's 
political participation.  Alternate Secretary Adriana 
Ardelaez said the PCC is concerned about the small number of 
women who hold leadership positions in Colombian political 
parties and local, departmental and national government.  The 
Conference was co-sponsored by the Christian Democratic Party 
of America (ODCA), which is affiliated with the European 
Christian Democrat movements. 
 
3.  (U) The conference, "Women as Directors of Social 
Change," was opened by Elys Ojeda, the President of MUDCA, a 
Venezuelan women's political group associated with ODCA. 
Ojeda's remarks focused on the need to include women in 
politics to ensure the future of democracy and to achieve 
social change.  She stated that women's participation is also 
important to ensure that their rights are protected, as well 
as to end violence against women.  Ojeda said the "current 
leadership" of Venezuela is opposed to women participating in 
government. 
 
4.  (U) Other participants included members of parties 
affiliated with ODCA in other Latin American countries, 
including Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and 
Ecuador.  Most presentations focused more on social issues 
than on women's participation in government.  All implied 
that increased women's political participation would lead to 
improvements in health and education. 
 
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Women's Political Participation 
in Colombia by the Numbers 
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5.  (U) PCC Senator Carlina Rodriguez provided an historical 
overview of women's political participation in Colombia, 
including current figures for the number of women holding 
elective office.  Only 11 out of 102 Senators and 20 out of 
166 Representatives are women.  Senator Rodriguez also noted 
there are five women Ministers in the President's cabinet. 
However, participation in the judicial branch is much lower. 
Less than 10 percent of offices in the different courts are 
held by women.  Moreover, there are no women holding 
high-ranking offices in the Inspector General's Office 
(Procuraduria). (Note.  Rodriguez failed to mention that the 
current Secretary General in the Prosecutor General's office 
(Fiscalia) is a woman, Zaidy Mora.  End Note.)  Figures for 
departmental and local government offices are also low, 
according to Rodriguez. 
 
6.  (U) Colombia's numbers are low as compared to other 
countries in the region (but on par with those for the United 
States).  For example, a participant from Costa Rica said 
that women make up more than 30 percent of its legislature. 
She credited a quota law for the increase in the number of 
women holding elective office.  Senator Rodriguez noted that 
Colombia passed a quota law in 2000, which mandates that 30 
percent of offices in the executive branch and 30 percent of 
the executive positions in political parties be held by 
women.  Unlike quota laws passed by some countries, including 
Costa Rica, the Colombian law does not mandate minimum 
participation levels for women in the legislative or judicial 
branches of government.  (Note: An earlier legislative 
attempt to regulate women's participation in these two 
branches was declared unconstitutional in 2001.  End Note.) 
 
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Conservatives Solicit Women's Support in 2006 
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7.  (U)  References to the PCC and the March 2006 
Congressional elections became more numerous as the 
conference continued.  PCC President Carlos Holguin Sardi 
concluded his opening remarks by saying that, with the 
support of women voters and candidates, the Conservatives 
would be the most powerful party in Congress after the 2006 
elections.  This theme was picked up by Senator Rodriguez, 
who opted not to finish her prepared presentation on the 
history of women's political participation in Colombia, but 
instead made an impassioned speech on behalf of the PCC.  She 
made particular reference to the importance of Holguin's 
leadership. 
 
8.  (SBU) Comment: Holguin would like to run for President 
but lacks support outside the core of the PCC.  The PCC will 
hold a national vote on November 27 to decide whether to 
support President Uribe for reelection or to run a stand 
alone PCC candidate.  The vote will likely favor the Uribe 
option.  End Comment. 
 
WOOD