The collapse of the political reform presented by the government of President Gustavo Petro is very good news for the country, since it was a project that gave the country back at least 30 years in terms of democratic progress.
The elimination of the preferential vote, that is, of the freedom that the voter has to vote for the candidate of his choice, in order to force him to vote for the logo of a political party, was equivalent to going back to the time of the pen, in which the Political caciques determined who could be elected and who could not, something that makes it impossible for independent candidates and figures representing renewal to reach the councils, assemblies, the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Republic.
But, in addition to guaranteeing the eternal re-election of the same as always, on their own behalf or on behalf of another, the political reform promoted by the Petro government promoted practices that, if approved, would have broken the fragile balance of powers, because with this The aim of the project was that the congressmen in office could be appointed ministers, something that, in addition to being a mockery for the voters, would encourage clientelism.
In addition to having freed the country from a democratic setback, the collapse of the political reform sends a message of optimism about the independence of the Congress of the Republic vis-a-vis the national government, since in what has been done so far, the legislature has been too condescending with the executive, even in inconvenient projects such as tax reform.
This sign of independence is healthy and necessary for national democracy.
Colombia has to break the harmful habit of making political reforms every four years, tailored to the new government.
The political system must be designed to strengthen democracy, not for the convenience of the current ruler.
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