DHAKA: Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has appointed a team of senior government officials to launch talks with the opposition on changes to a peace deal with the Farc rebel group.

Santos made the announcement after meeting with political party leaders, reports the BBC.

The peace deal was rejected by a narrow margin in a referendum on Sunday.

Former President Alvaro Uribe, who led the “no” campaign, did not attend the meeting but appointed three negotiators to hold talks with the government.

Uribe, a senator and leader of the Democratic Centre party, wants rebels who committed serious crimes to serve prison sentences and for some of the Farc leaders to be banned from politics.

The peace deal was signed last week after nearly four years of negotiations, which were held in the Cuban capital, Havana.

For the agreement to be implemented, putting an end to 52 years of conflict, it would have had to be ratified by the Colombian people in a referendum.

Pre-election polls had indicated a strong victory for the “yes” camp.

But in a surprise result, 50.2% of voters rejected the agreement.

BDST: 1350 HRS, OCT 04, 2016
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