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News > Latin America

Colombia's Leftist Parties Want 40 New Seats in Congress for FARC

  • It was proposed that 40 seats be created in Congress for the demobilized guerrillas: 15 in the Senate and 25 in the House of Representatives.

    It was proposed that 40 seats be created in Congress for the demobilized guerrillas: 15 in the Senate and 25 in the House of Representatives. | Photo: EFE

Published 12 November 2015
Opinion

Allowing guerrillas to sit in Congress is “necessary” in order to “facilitate their transition to civil and political life,” said the Green Alliance Party.

Colombia's Green Alliance Party has backed the request by the FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrillas, to participate in politics, and asked that 40 new seats be created in Congress for guerrilla members.

Green Alliance co-president Antonio Sanguino made the request in an official letter to President Juan Manuel Santos Wednesday, saying that a special peace constituency should be created following the guerrilla's demobilization, which would occur when a final peace deal is reached.

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The proposed constituency, said Sanguino, is “absolutely relevant and necessary” in order to “facilitate the guerrilla's transition to civil and political life.”

The FARC and the Colombian government have been undergoing peace negotiations for the last three years in Havana, Cuba in order to bring an end to the over 50 years of civil war in the country, which has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

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The two sides have reached some landmark agreements, and are currently facing pressure to sign a final peace agreement within the next six months. This would include the demobilization of FARC guerrilla forces, while the FARC has been pushing for involvement in national politics.

In the letter, Sanguino proposed the creation of 40 new seats in Congress for the demobilized guerrillas, which would include both the FARC and the ELN (National Liberation Army), the country's second largest guerrilla group that is currently in exploratory peace talks with the government.

The seats would be divided, with 15 available in the Senate and 25 in the House of Representatives. It was proposed that the constituency last at least 12 years, or three constitutional periods, what the congressman said is long enough to ensure a “successful political transition.”

However, the pressure from the Green Alliance Party comes as the Senate continues to debate the possibility of banning the FARC from participating in politics. Many believe this decision would harm the current peace process, while FARC spokesman Ivan Marquez has called the idea, “horrible pettiness.”

The Green Alliance Party petition also comes after the FARC released a statement Saturday with a series of proposals to transform the guerrilla group into a political movement once the peace agreement is signed in the country.

Among the stated goals include the allocation of seats in Congress, municipal councils and departmental assemblies. The end of a conflict involves change, including the decision to move into civilian and political life, said the guerrilla group.

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