Colombian government seeks peace referendum with FARC

Juan Manuel Santos

The president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, announced last Thursday, August 22, a bill to a referendum in the 2014 elections. In these elections the Colombian people will decide whether to approve the points that will eventually be agreed in the peace negotiations with the FARC in La Habana, Cuba.

“The peace process progresses. Talks in La Habana advance. And we have the responsibility, the obligation to provide any instance that is necessary if the agreements are formalized, for the Colombian people… be the one to have the final word, be the one who decides whether these agreements are agreeable or not,” said Santos in an event at the Presidential Palace, the seat of the Colombian government.

He explained, “there is a statutory bill that we considered necessary to present to the Congress with a message of urgency in order to facilitate the process of countersignature of those agreements.”

Finally, Santos maintained that the purpose of the bill seeks to relate the referendums agreements reached to end the war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia which must be presented on a day that coincides with the elections, whether Congress or chairman.

However Santos proposal seems to have little time to meet the requirements demanded by the laws of Colombia on referendum.