The President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, is doing all he can to save a peace deal with the FARC rebels after the “no” camp won the country’s referendum over the weekend.
President Santos has appointed a team of senior government officials to launch talks with the opposition on changes to the peace deal with the FARC.
He made the announcement after meeting with political party leaders.
Former President Alvaro Uribe, who led the “no” campaign, did not attend the meeting but appointed three negotiators to hold talks with the government.
Mr 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.
Voters in Colombia narrowly rejected a landmark peace deal with FARC rebels in a referendum result which showed 50.24% voting against it.
The deal which was signed earlier by President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Timoleon Jimenez after nearly four years of negotiations needed to be ratified by Colombians in order to come into force.
The surprise victory for the “no” camp disappointed the international community from the White House to the Vatican, that had expected an end of the longest-running conflict in the Americas.
Voter turnout was only 37 percent, and it is believed that the torrential rain through the country caused this.
Addressing the nation, President Santos said he accepted the result but would continue working to achieve peace.
He said the current ceasefire remained in place and that he had ordered negotiators to travel to Cuba to consult FARC leaders on the next move.
“I will not give up, I will keep seeking peace until the last day of my term because that is the way to leave a better nation for our children,” said Santos, who cannot seek re-election when his second term ends in August 2018.
