Members of Congress will travel to Havana next week to meet with the negotiating team of rebel group FARC, local media reported on Wednesday.
The guerrillas issued the invitation in order to listen to arguments for a proposed law that would see a referendum on a potential peace accord coincide with the 2014 congressional or presidential elections. The FARC initially rejected such a notion, insisting on the creation of a constituent assembly that would see any accord entrenched in the constitution.
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Juan Fernando Cristo, President of Congress, emphasized that this is not a meeting between Congress and the rebels, but that “the negotiating table is the best, most useful and convenient way for a meeting between members of the political parties and the peace delegations.”
According to newspaper La Republica, members of the Conservative party are, as of yet, unsure as to whether they should make the trip, with representative Heriberto Sanabria raising concerns.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party, through its chairman, Simon Gaviria, confirmed that they will represent their communities at that meeting.
Rebel group FARC and the government have been involved in peace talks since November in order to seek a negotiated end to the internal conflict.
While an accord has been reached regarding land reform, no agreements have been made on the issue of the FARC’s political participation, drug trafficking, the practicalities of the end of the armed conflict and the rights of the victims.
