Colombians shock government, reject peace deal

Colombians hit their government with a shock defeat when they voted by a razor-thin majority to reject a historic peace deal with communist FARC rebels, prompting the government to say that it will sustain its efforts to end the country's half-century civil war.

Resentful of the blood shed by the leftist guerrillas and the immunity the accord offers many of them from prosecution, voters yesterday rejected the historic deal, defying the government and flying in the face of opinion polls.

The result threw Colombia's future into uncertainty. The sides spent four years negotiating the deal and agreed it must be ratified in a referendum — but there was no Plan B in the event of a "No" vote.

President Juan Manuel Santos admitted defeat, but pledged: "I will not give in, and I will continue to seek peace to the last day of my term."

FARC chief Rodrigo Londono, alias Timoleon "Timochenko" Jimenez, vowed his side was also committed to continuing peace efforts. He said its ceasefire remained in force.

"The FARC deeply deplores that the destructive power of those who sow hatred and resentment has influenced the Colombian people's opinion," he said in Havana, Cuba, where the accord was negotiated.

"The people of Colombia who dream of peace can count on us. Peace will triumph."

Also "very disappointed" was Borge Brende, foreign affairs minister of Norway, one of the countries actively supporting the peace process.

He told radio NRK that the accord supporters should "work in the next days to see if there are solutions to save peace in Colombia" by taking into account opposition to the deal.

The peace accord was supposed to end the last major armed conflict in the Western hemisphere.

But the vote result was a dramatic defeat for Santos and the accord he signed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Commentators compared the result to that of June's surprise "Brexit" vote for Britain to leave the European Union.

Colombians voted 50.21 per cent to 49.78 per cent against the accord, according to results published online with more than 99.9 per cent of votes counted.

The 'No' camp won by about 54,000 votes, or less than half a percentage point, electoral authorities said. Surveys ahead of the vote had predicted a strong 'Yes' victory.

Voting however was not mandatory, and turnout was low at just over 37 per cent. Authorities said heavy rain caused by Hurricane Matthew in the Caribbean disrupted some voting.

Some FARC victims publicly backed the accord.

But forecasts apparently miscalculated Colombians' desire to punish the guerrillas. Deal opponents resented concessions that included amnesty for some FARC members, though not for the worst crimes such as massacres, torture and rape.

Former president Alvaro Uribe, who led the 'No' campaign, called for a "national pact" to work for peace. But it was unclear how peace efforts might move forward now.