Colombian President Rules Out Constituent Assembly

Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos on Thursday rejected the possibility of holding a constituent assembly in efforts to solidify a peace deal between the Colombian government and rebel forces.

"The FARC continues to insist on a constituent assembly, and we have told them in as many ways possible: remove yourself from the clouds, a constituent assembly will not happen," President Santos stated.

Santos has said that a final peace agreement is expected to be reached by March 2016, which would put an end to Colombia's 50-year armed conflict.

However, the Colombian head-of-state has repeatedly ruled out a constituent assembly, a longstanding demand of the FARC to accomplish this end.

“In May or June of the coming year there will be a plebiscite over peace," Santos said, a measure which Santos argues would be the “most convenient" way of ratifying the peace deal.

INDEPTH: The Colombian Peace Process Explained

According to current law, in order for a plebiscite to become valid, the referendum must receive the approval al of 51 percent of voters.

Currently, there are over 33 million eligible voters, which means that for the peace deal to become valid the referendum would require the support of 16,910,099 voters.

According to a Gallup survey released on 10 November 2015, 52 percent of urban Colombians believe in the success of the peace talks. The survey reveals an increase in confidence in the peace talks since a poll was carried out in June 2015, when only 33 percent were optimistic about the governmental negotiations with the FARC.