World Notes COLOMBIA

After 15 years of terrorist activity, Colombia's notorious M-19 guerrilla group signed a pact with the government last year and stepped back into civilian life. Former leaders Carlos Pizarro Leon-Gomez and Antonio Navarro Wolf now want to run for office in the country's March 15 municipal elections. Pizarro Leon-Gomez hopes to become mayor of Bogota; Navarro Wolf mayor of Cali. But they face a serious obstacle: impending trials for crimes that include the spectacular 1985 takeover of Bogota's Palace of Justice and the 1988 kidnaping of former presidential candidate Alvaro Gomez Hurtado. Gomez was released unharmed eight weeks later.

Last week the former rebels received pardons from the Superior Tribunal of Bogota for the two incidents, and the panel promised similar documents for 33 other M-19 members. Still, neither rebel leader stands much chance of winning election.