- Title: Colombia to provide some initial funding for rebels' political party
- Date: 5th June 2017
- Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (JUNE 05, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF COLOMBIA'S ELECTORAL COMMISSION SIGN ON COMMISSION BUILDING HEAD OF COLOMBIA'S ELECTORAL COMMISSION, ALEXANDER VEGA, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HEAD OF COLOMBIA'S ELECTORAL COMMISSION, ALEXANDER VEGA, SAYING: "We've already put forward the request for the FARC political party, a sum of 3.57 billion pesos ($1.2 million dollars) so that once the arms handover occurs and the political party is recognised, the resources will be guaranteed in the following way. For operating expenditures, a figure of 1.87 billion pesos ($645,00 dollars) and for the think tank and political formation centre, as was agreed, 1.7 billion pesos ($586,00 dollars) for a total of 3.56 billion pesos ($1.2 million dollars)."
- Embargoed: 19th June 2017 23:15
- Keywords: political party Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia FARC Colombia Colombia's Finance Ministry
- Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- City: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0016K05Y6B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Colombia's Finance Ministry has been asked to provide over $1.2 million dollars (929,728 pounds) in initial funding for the Marxist FARC rebel group's new political party, the electoral commission said on Monday (June 05), as soon as the group finishes a weapons handover.
Under a peace deal signed last year by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government, the rebels will turn over all their weapons to the United Nations and become a legal political party after more than 52 years of war.
All political parties and presidential and legislative campaigns in the Andean country receive some state funds, though amounts can vary.
The FARC have not yet named their political party, which will participate in elections next year, but Alexander Vega, head of the country's electoral commission, said the initial funds will go towards operational costs and a think tank.
The government and the rebels last week extended the weapon hand-in deadline by 20 days, after logistical delays slowed the arrival of some of the group's nearly 7,000 fighters to special U.N. demobilisation zones. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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