Colombia´s FARC guerrillas today called for a “restructuring of the Colombian state” to secure a deal as part of the Havana peace talks.
Rebel spokesman, Rodrigo Granda read a press statement announcing a 11 point plan for the “creation of a fourth power; people´s power…orientated towards the greater citizen participation”.
The plan calls for wide-ranging changes to the state, including economic and justice reform as well as a reconstitution of the military and the police.
Santos´s government and FARC guerrillas are discussing point two, “political participation” of the five point agenda for peace agreed last year. President Santos and government chief negotiator, Humberto de la Calle argue this discussion is restricted to the FARC´s involvment in politics once demobilized.
The FARC´s demands however, go beyond this, proposing a major redesign of the 1991 Constitution.
Ivan Márquez, top FARC negotiator, has asked for Santos to postpone next year´s congressional and presidential elections to allow more time to negotiate peace without the pressure of electioneering.
The Marxist group also put forward a “constituent assembly” to set in legal stone the detail of the agreement, once signed.
Santos told the FARC he is sticking to the 2013 year end deadline set at the start of the talks and dismissed the assembly claiming it opened a pandora´s box.
Colombia Politics view
The government have been clear that the peace talks are not an opportunity for the FARC to achieve the “revolution through negotiation”.
The talks will lead to the demobilization of the FARC and their eventual incorporation into civilian life, but they will not allow the FARC to advance their politics at the negotiating table.
But the FARC´s demands are a manifesto to rebuild Colombia in its image.
All this means public opinion is being tested to the limit. Time is running out and the talks are progressing painfully slowly.
The FARC´s apparent intransigence has led commentators and opposition politicians to dismiss the talks as unworkable. They argue that the FARC is up to its old tricks, that it doesn´t want to negotiate but instead to impose its vision for the nation.
Our hope, however, is that the FARC´s “demands” are in fact a bluff, a dress rehearsal for what will happen once they lay down their arms. They are preparing their discourse and preparing their audience for a time when they enter politics. Unsurprising they should attempt to drum up support at this early stage.
The FARC top brass is more than aware of the government´s position, they are no fools.
So, as unpalatable as it is to see FARC attempts to gain political capital, it is, after all, entirely predictable. We did not expect the guerrillas to give up give in and demobilize quietly, did we?
And we should have confidence that the government will not concede ground to the FARC. Both Santos and Humberto de la Calle have been strong and direct.
We must continue to hope.
Photo, El Tiempo.