COLOMBIA: Ex-FARC rebels face first electoral test

Colombians voted yesterday in an election seen as a test for the country’s former leftist rebel fighters who gave up their arms last year and became a political party. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) disbanded after the 2016 landmark peace agreement, converting to a political party with the same initials.  Yesterday’s congressional poll […]

Colombians voted yesterday in an election seen as a test for the country’s former leftist rebel fighters who gave up their arms last year and became a political party.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) disbanded after the 2016 landmark peace agreement, converting to a political party with the same initials. 

Yesterday’s congressional poll was the first to see the former rebels participate in elections after a conflict that lasted more than 50 years and resulted in the death of more than 220,000.

The FARC are guaranteed 10 seats in Congress under the terms of the peace deal.

The party’s campaign has been overshadowed by alleged attacks that at one point led to the suspension of the FARC campaign, as well as its presidential candidate withdrawing over health and safety concerns.

Analysts expect the composition of Colombia’s Congress to remain largely the same, with conservative parties who oppose the peace agreement hoping to win an absolute majority.

The Centro Democratico party, led by former president and current senator Alvaro Uribe, is predicted to win the most seats.