Washington Post: Colombian President Plans to Bypass Voters in Bid to Secure Pact With Rebels
Santos to present new peace deal with FARC to Congress after earlier plebescite was narrowly defeated
BOGOTA, Colombia—President Juan Manuel Santos plans to present a new peace pact with the FARC rebel group to Congress for ratification, bypassing voters who rejected an earlier accord, people familiar with the strategy said.
On Saturday night, Mr. Santos unveiled the deal, saying it replaces an accord voters narrowly rejected on Oct. 2.
People who have talked to the president and government officials say the Santos administration sees Congress as the best option to approve the pact with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. He has majority support among lawmakers, and the country’s highest court has ruled that Mr. Santos doesn’t have to call a plebiscite to approve a new pact.
“The most salient ratification process now is, in fact, Congress,” one of these people said.
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Previous Post: Colombia And FARC Rebels Agree To A Revised Peace Deal that Ends 52 Year Of War (November 12, 2016).
WNU Editor: This is going to cause problems. It is clear that Colombian President Juan Manuel Santosdoes does not have any confidence that this new "peace deal" will pass in a new referendum .... hence this maneuver. But by ignoring what the public thinks ..... this will not only lessen the "legitimacy" of the agreement, but it will also open the door for critics to ignore it.
