Colombia: Historic referendum on peace agreement

(Baonghean.vn) - On October 2nd, Colombian voters went to the polls to participate in a referendum on the historic peace agreement signed between the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on September 26th.

People gathered in the capital city of Bogota to celebrate the historic peace agreement. Photo: Getty

Nearly 34.9 million Colombian voters participated in a referendum on a peace agreement, paving the way for an end to 52 years of bloody armed conflict in the country.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos affirmed that in order to achieve lasting peace, the people have the right to "put their seal of approval" through referendums to ensure the legal validity of the aforementioned document.

Twenty-one international observers from 25 countries participated in monitoring the process. Voters participating in the poll chose between two answers: agree or disagree with the agreement. Voting was not mandatory.

According to President Santos, the government has no contingency plan, and if the people reject the signed agreement, the deal will be canceled.

Opinion polls ahead of the vote showed that 55% to 66% of voters supported the peace agreement, while around 35% opposed it. Opponents argued that the peace agreement would allow FARC fighters to escape prosecution for their crimes and would not resolve the war on drugs.

FARC leader Timoleon Jimenez signs the final peace agreement between the Colombian government and FARC in Cartagena on September 26, 2016. Photo: Xinhua.

After four years of persistent negotiations, with the efforts and goodwill of the Government and FARC, and the support of mediators, a peace agreement has been reached between the two sides. If the agreement is approved, nearly 8,000 FARC fighters will be disarmed at 27 locations under the supervision of 500 United Nations experts, and the organization will then legally participate in Colombian political life as a political party.

Colombian Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas affirmed that security would be guaranteed for the referendum. Earlier, the National Liberation Army of Colombia (ELN), the second-largest armed group in the South American country, announced it would cease military operations to facilitate the referendum. Villegas expressed hope that the ELN would abide by this declaration.

A peace agreement in Colombia can only be approved if it receives at least 4.4 million votes in favor, equivalent to 13% of Colombia's registered voters, and this number must exceed the number of votes against.

Lan Ha

(According to AFP)