Colombia’s business leaders agree with rebel group FARC that the best way to seal a possible peace deal with the government would be through a National Constituent Assembly rather than Congress.
The FARC has been engaged in peace talks with the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos since November 2012.
The guerrillas have since the early stages of these talks said that if a peace agreement is reached, the constitutional amendments coming from this accord should be approved through a National Constituent Assembly.
FARC insists on ‘constituent assembly’ to seal Colombia peace talks
The government, however, has long preferred a referendum and the president last week introduced the possibility of having the deal approved by a “mini Congress.”
Santos proposes ‘mini-Congress’ to amend Colombia’s constitution after FARC deal
But with Congress enjoying hardly any confidence due to widespread corruption, business leaders overwhelmingly took sides with the rebels, according to Datexco.
The pollster claimed that 76% of businessmen prefer the constituent assembly over Congress.
The survey additionally revealed that also among business leaders there is little confidence confidence among businessmen that the talks will culminate in peace, in spite of recent advantages made in terms of deescalation and transitional justice.
Colombia peace talks’ thorniest point, justice, negotiated by international panel
According to Datexco, 58% of business leaders believe the peace talks will end in a peace deal, while 42% believes the talks will fail.
The businessman seem less pessimistic than the average Colombian. A poll held by rival Ipsos-Napoleon revealed earlier this month that only 29% of Colombians have faith that the current negotiations will lead to peace between the government and the FARC.
FARC truce fails to curb Colombia’s pessimism over peace talks