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Colombian leader to submit revised peace deal to Congress

Xinhua, November 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday that he will submit the revised peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas to Congress for approval.

After the initial peace deal was rejected in an Oct. 2 referendum, the government and rebels returned to the negotiating table and rapidly reworked the agreement to address complaints of those who opposed the original.

Leading the opposition camp was former President Alvaro Uribe, who said the agreement did not go far enough in holding the rebels accountable for past crimes.

Uribe had suggested the new deal be debated in Congress, said Santos, adding: "I totally agree with him and that is why I will take the matter up with the legislature on Wednesday, so there can be a debate."

However, Santos said, the FARC should also be consulted as to how the agreement should be endorsed.

Without a final endorsement, a bilateral ceasefire agreement between the two sides remains fragile, said Santos, urging a quick debate of the deal.

Earlier this month, the Colombian government and the FARC signed a new peace agreement after days of negotiations in Havana, a possible lasting deal to end over 50 years of armed conflicts in the country, which have claimed over 260,000 lives and displaced millions. Endi