BOGOTA: Colombia’s former leftist guerillas faced their first electoral test as a political party on Sunday in congressional voting also seen as a measure of the strength of the country’s factions two months before presidential elections.
Analysts see the balloting for the Senate and House of Representatives as a test of the democratic viability of the FARC, whose fighters laid down their arms following a historic peace pact last year and converted into a political movement. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia gave their new party the same FARC initials as the rebel group.
“The FARC are in a tough position,” says Leon Valencia, a former combatant who now directs the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, a political think tank.
“If they get a low turnout, as is expected, their congressmen will be shunned. They will not be seen as true representatives of the people,” said Valencia, referring to the fact that the FARC is guaranteed 10 seats in congress under the terms of the peace deal that ended more than a half century of brutal conflict.
Casting a shadow over the FARC’s political ambitions is the recent decision to withdraw its candidate from the presidential race for health reasons. Former rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, more commonly known by nom-de-guerre Timochenko, underwent successful hearth surgery last week and earlier suffered a stroke.
The ex-rebels have also expressed fears of irregularities in the electoral process and difficulties accessing campaign funds. Some of Londono’s campaign stops had been met with protests. The FARC’s leaders have said that despite these “obstacles” they are hoping to prove they have a future in Colombia’s political landscape.
Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2018
