Comptroller Beheaded!
Following a long and hardous
battle between the differing
Legislators and public opinion,
Monday, Alex Solís Fallas, was
removed as Contralor General de
la República (Comptroller
General) and a copy of his file
used by the special commission
was sent to the Ministerio
Público for a closer examination
by the judicial body.
In a session that ended at
6:40pm last night, 39
Legislators present voted in
favour of the destitution, while
only 12 who believed that Solís
should stay on.
The vote to remove Solís is
based on Article 183 of the
Constitution, which gives the
Legislature the power to remove
a public official if there is
sufficient proof of wrongdoing.
Solís was not without support
since his appointment last June.
One of his biggest fans as
Legislative Deputy, Olman Vargas
of the Partido Unidad Social
Cristiana (PUSC). Olman pushed
right to the end to have the
vote in secret, saying that the
decisin to remove the
Comptroller was politically
motivated and was important to
guard the rights of the
Comptroller and the procedure.
Another Solís supporter, Luis
Ramírez, head of the Partido
Liberación Nacional (PLN), said
following the vote that the
Legislature had made a
'political decision'.
The removal of Solís came
shortly after his appointment in
June 2nd of this year, when it
was discovered that Solís had
falsified his brother's name -
that of 2002 presidential
candidate, Otton Solís - to
legal documents and his
involvement in high interest
loans to Costa Ricans, financing
their illegal trips to the
United States.
Much debate was generated over
the last six months following
his appointment, including a
call for Solís to quit, which he
refused.
Following the vote, the now
former Contralor, speaking to a
reporter from the Spanish
language daily Diario Extra,
said that there is a political
and economic force behind his
removal, of people who consider
Costa Rica still a farm and knew
well that with me there would be
no more corruption in handing
out contracts.
Solís refused to say any more,
adding that he will use this
time to spend it with his family
and friends and enjoy the
holiday season, promising to
make a full disclosure come
January.
The vote went like this:
IN FAVOUR: PUSC:
Jorge Álvarez, Aida Faigenzicht,
Gerardo González, Rolando Laclé,
Rodolfo Delgado, Mario Redondo,
Lilliana Salas, Ricardo Toledo,
Gloria Valerín, Federico Vargas
and Ligia Zúñiga; Movimiento
Libertario: Ronaldo Alfaro,
Peter Guevara, Carlos Herrera,
Federico Malavassi and Carlos
Salazar; UP: Humberto Arce,
Quírico Jiménez and Rafael
Varela; Renovación
Costarricense: Carlos Avendaño;
PLN: Carlos Ricardo Benavides,
José Miguel Corrales, Laura
Chinchilla, Álvaro González,
Bernal Jiménez, Luis Ramírez,
Luis Gerardo Villanueva, Julián
Watson and Joyce Zürcher; PAC:
Epsy Campbell, Rodrigo Alberto
Carazo, Ruth Montoya, Margarita
Penón, Daysi Quesada, Martha
Zamora and Gerardo Vargas; ADN:
Emilia Rodríguez
AGAINST: PLN:
Sigifredo Aiza, Kyra de la Rosa
and María Lourdes Ocampo; PUSC:
Mario Calderón, Miguel Huezo,
Marco Tulio Mora, Carmen Gamboa,
Francisco Sanchún, Rocío Ulloa,
Olman Vargas; Auténtico
Herediano: José Francisco Salas;
Patria Primero: Juan José Vargas
NO VOTE: PAC:
Edwin Patterson
ABSENT FROM THE VOTE:
PLN: Luis Paulino Rodríguez,
Nury Garita, Marielos Vïquez and
María Elena Núñez; PUSC: German
Rojas; Independent: Elvia
Navarro.
Medical Certificates for
Driver's Licenses to Change
Want a
Costa Rican driver's license? Or
needing to renew one? Well, come
next year, in an agreement
between the Colegio de Médicos
(College of Medicine) and the
Ministerio de Obras Públicas y
Transportes (MOPT), the
requirement to get a driver's
license will be a little
stricter, changing the current
practice to obtain a medical
certificate.
As it stands now and has been
for many years, with about
¢4.000 (us$8.75) colones in one
hand, the other hand over one
year, and with simple answers to
some questions about one's
health, a doctor would issue a "dictamen"
that is a requirement to obtain
or renew a driver's license.
Outside the licensing office in
San José, doctors' offices line
all four intersecting streets
and an office in the parking at
the rear of the building.
Doctors have to fill out a form,
with simple medical questions
that are not verified,
including, if the patient is
wearing contact lenses.
However, come next year and with
the help of computers, doctors
can now look up the medical
history of each patient. And
this can only be done by doctors
who are plugged in.
In Costa Rica, officials
estimate that some 200.000 such
dictamens - medical certificates
- are filled out every year. At
¢4.000 colones each, that's big
business!
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Tourism Up 20%
The Cámara Nacional de Turismo (Canatur)
announced that, though
conditions are not that great,
the tourism sector say a 20%
increase this year.
William Rodríguez, president of
Canatur, said that a 20%
increase was registered in 2004
over the same period in 2003.
Canatur says there has been an
definite increase in daily
flights coming into Costa Rica
over the 2003 period and expects
some 1.400.000 tourists this
year, notwithstanding a slight
decrease registered during the
month of July.
The tourism sector is
responsible for about 85.000
direct jobs and more than
500.000 in indirects. Canatur
also said that the lenghth of
stay for tourists increased to
an average of 11 nights to 13.
Tourism in Costa Rica generates
about us$1.6 billion dollars in
gross revenue, the second
largest productive activity,
representing 8.7% of the
Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) -
Gross National Product.
Coastal Land Prices Continue to
Rise
The Beach
Times -
thebeachtimes.com
Property prices along the
northern Pacific coast continued
to soar in the past 12 months,
with realtors reporting in some
cases prime oceanfront real
estate almost doubling in price.
Most coastal property --
developed as well as vacant
lots, moderately priced and
high-end housing, plus
condominiums and office space --
enjoyed healthy 20 to 40 per
cent increases.
But titled oceanfront and good
quality, ocean-view lots have
increased by up to 100 per cent.
Inventory in some sectors is
scarce forcing realtors to
develop their own projects to
keep up with demand.
Condominium projects remain
amongst the most popular with
most buyers purchasing from
plans in the pre-construction
stage. There are few completed
condominiums for sale.
The face of the buyer has
changed with many coming to
Costa Rica to buy, build and
live, rather than the quick
re-sales and profit taking of
recent years. The easy access to
Liberia Airport and availability
of a US-curriculum school has
meant many buyers are families.
In Tamarindo there is a rush to
build office space, with more
than 60 units scheduled for
completion in the next 12
months.
“I believe this is the beginning
of time in Costa Rica,” says Bob
Davey of Century 21 in Flamingo.
“The mystery is over and the
secret is out. “
Davey was one of broad
cross-sections of brokers who
spoke to The Beach Times this
week about real estate along the
Gold Coast, what’s happened in
the past 12 months and what is
forecast for the future. Our
special report can be found in
the Feature Section.
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