In Colombia, the recall of mayors (directly elected by citizens) was recognised in 1994 as “a political right, by means of which citizens terminate the mandate that they have conferred on a governor or a mayor”. Members of local councils are also directly elected but are not subjected to popular recall. The Colombian Constitutional Court referred to the concept of “programmatic mandate” to distinguish it from the imperative mandate and the free mandate. According to the Court, following article 259 of the Constitution, when they are elected, candidates commit to fulfil a government programme; hence, if the elected official fails to comply with the programme without justification, voters shall logically have the right to revoke that mandate. Moreover, in the eyes of the Court, those entitled to remove the mayor or governor are the active electors of the concerned local community “who participated in the election of the mayor or governor, since it is them - and no one else - who made the choice”.