- Title: Hardliner ex-president Uribe casts vote in Colombia's referendum
- Date: 2nd October 2016
- Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (OCTOBER 2, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FORMER COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT AND LEADER OF THE "NO" CAMPAIGN, ALVARO URIBE, CHECKING IN TO VOTE CLOSE-UP OF BALLOT BOX VARIOUS OF URIBE VOTING URIBE DROPPING BALLOT PAPER IN BOX URIBE WALKING OUT OF VOTING BOOTH AND BEING SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FORMER COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT AND LEADER OF THE "NO" CAMPAIGN, ALVARO URIBE, SAYING: "My gratitude to all those who made the effort to study the agreement, who want peace but say ´no´ to the texts of Havana." PEOPLE VOTING IN POLLING BOOTH VARIOUS OF ELECTORAL WORKERS CHECKING IN VOTERS VARIOUS OF CITIZENS VOTING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VOTER, DAVID, SAYING: "I think this is the most important question that has been put to the Colombian people in history, to put an and to the war with these guerrilla forces at least. I think it is our duty to go out and say ´Yes´ or ´No´." VARIOUS MORE OF COLOMBIANS VOTING COLOMBIAN FLAG GENERAL VIEW OF CONGRESS
- Embargoed: 17th October 2016 17:46
- Keywords: FARC Alvaro Uribe Santos plebiscite peace plan
- Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- City: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA00152BAW5J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Colombia´s former president and most influential voice in the "No" campaign, Alvaro Uribe, voted on Sunday (October 2) morning in the nation´s plebiscite on whether to ratify a peace agreement signed between the government and leftist rebel forces.
Uribe has campaigned extensively for the "No" vote, saying he is in favour of peace, to end a 52-year war between the state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), but not on the terms agreed after four years of talks in Havana.
"My gratitude to all those who made the effort to study the agreement, who want peace but say ´No´ to the texts of Havana," Uribe said to reporters outside a polling booth in central Bogota.
Uribe is against the amnesty offered to FARC rebels under the agreement, which he says amounts to impunity. Rebels will instead face reduced penalties of restricted freedom for five to eight years and community service, in accordance with the level of the individual´s cooperation with efforts such as demining.
Uribe and the "No" camp are also opposed to the ten seats in Colombia´s congress that will be set aside for the political party that emerges out of the FARC after disarmament.
A recent survey suggested 66 percent of those voting would vote "Yes". Polls close at 4 p.m. (2100 G.M.T.) and the results are expected roughly two hours later. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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