The Colombian Congress on Monday began the first of eight voting sessions on legislation that would offer benefits to paramilitary fighters who lay down their arms, including short prison terms for crimes against humanity and drug trafficking. But the law, which sets prison terms of five to eight years for such crimes, faces opposition. Sticking points include a government proposal that members of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) already under investigation would benefit from the legislation, but lawmakers demanded that all AUC members be investigated. The government bill also proposes that kidnapping victims need not be returned, but the opponents to the law said AUC must end all hostilities and free all kidnapping victims. It was unclear how many hostages were being held by AUC. In addition, an opposition group was calling for AUC fighters to confess their crimes while the bill put forth by the executive said they must only recognize their crimes. On Sunday, the chief of the investigative branch of the Colombian judiciary, Edgardo Maya, complained bitterly about the legislation and asked the government of President Alvaro Uribe to clarify whether secret agreements had been made with the paramilitaries. --MORE 2334 Local Time 2034 GMT
