presidents; election last held 31 May
1998 (next to be held NA May 2002)

election results: no candidate received more than 50% of the total
vote, therefore, a run-off election to select a president from the
two leading candidates was held 21 June 1998; Andres PASTRANA
elected president; percent of vote - 50.3%; Gustavo BELL elected
vice president; percent of vote - 50.3%

Legislative branch: bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the
Senate or Senado (102 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de
Representantes (163 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 8 March 1998 (next to be held NA
March 2002); House of Representatives - last held 8 March 1998 (next
to be held NA March 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PL 50%, PSC
24%, smaller parties (many aligned with conservatives) 26%; seats by
party - PL 58, PSC 28, smaller parties 16; House of Representatives
- percent of vote by party - PL 52%, PSC 17%, other 31%; seats by
party - PL 98, PSC 52, indigenous parties 2, others 11

Judicial branch: four, coequal, supreme judicial organs; Supreme
Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justical (highest court of
criminal law; judges are selected from the nominees of the Higher
Council of Justice for eight-year terms); Council of State (highest
court of administrative law, judges are selected from the nominees
of the Higher Council of Justice for eight-year terms);
Constitutional Court (guards integrity and supremacy of the
constitution, rules on constitutionality of laws, amendments to the
constitution, and international treaties); Higher Council of Justice
(administers and disciplines the civilian judiciary; members of the
disciplinary chamber resolve jurisdictional conflicts arising
between other courts; members are elected by three sister courts and
Congress for eight-year terms)

Political parties and leaders: Conservative Party or PSC [Ciro
RAMIREZ Anzon]; Liberal Party or PL [Luis Guillermo VELEZ];
Patriotic Union or UP is a legal political party formed by
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC and Colombian
Communist Party or PCC [Jaime CAICEDO]; 19 of April Movement or M-19
[Antonio NAVARRO Wolff]

Political pressure groups and leaders: two largest insurgent groups
active in Colombia - National Liberation Army or ELN and
Revolutionary Arme