signed by the government and the URNG in the presence of UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, officially ending the 36-year civil war. The signing ceremony was held in front of the National Palace of Culture on the Plaza de la Constición in the presence of about 50,000 people. Among a cheerful crowd, a flame of peace was lit by the signatories inmidst the place to symbolise the end of armed conflict. The Secretary-General of the URNG, Comandante Rolando Morán and president Álvaro Arzú jointly received the UNESCO Peace Prize for their efforts to end the civil war and attain the peace agreement. The UNRG has since apologized for the atrocities that occurred during the Guatemalan Civil War, asking forgiveness from all victims, families and other who experienced any kind of excesses. This apology came two days after President Clinton admitted the role of the United States in a "dark and painful period" during the civil war in Guatemala. After Rolando Moran died in September 1998, Jorge Soto was elected to succeed him as Secretary General of the party. In May 1999, as a provision of the peace agreement, a constitutional referendum was held to amend the constitution. All 4 provisions failed to win a majority, albeit amid a low voter turnout. The party made its national electoral debut during the elections in 1999, joining forces with 2 minor left-wing parties, the Authentic Integral Development and Unidad de la Izquierda Democrática to contest the elections as the New Nation Alliance. The alliance, which was finalised on 12 February 1999, nominated the moderate Álvaro Colom, who would in 2011 be elected as president for National Unity of Hope, as their presidential candidate. He came in third with about 12.4% of the vote. The alliance also achieved the third place in the legislative election with 11% of the national vote, thereby electing 9 Congress members. The party drew significant support from part of their former strongholds and majority indigenous departments Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango and El Quiché, where in each the alliance was able to win an electoral district seat. In August 2001, Rodrigo Asturias was elected to replace Jorge Soto as Secretary General and subsequently developed a cosier relationship with the ruling FRG, which was founded by its former archenemy Rios Montt. The new party line was met with significant opposition from within the party, leading first to the resignation of Arnoldo Noriega, a former