President Pacheco Head Back to
Work This Morning
Just before 8:30, as
is the custom each week day, the
presidential car, along with
security personnel and Transit
official will arrive at the home
of President Abel Pacheco in
Rohrmoser to pick him for the
short ride to Casa Presidencial.
This morning will be no
different, other than the
President is under strict
medical orders to take it easy.
President Pacheco was released
from hospital Saturday afternoon
following two days of tests
after he was admitted at the
Calderón Guardia hospital
suffering from severe chest
pains. Doctors say it stress and
the President should take it
easy, relax, go on vacation and
take his medication for diabetes
and hypertension.
Pacheco said he will not go on
vacation, as it would be more
stressful for him, thinking
about what is going on back at
home. He agreed to take it a
little slower, maintain a strict
diet and take his medication.
The 71 year old President said
he is determined to complete his
term when he hands over the
rains of the Presidency to his
successor on May 1, 2006.
Doctors said the President needs
to also lose some weight - about
5 kilos - and needs to be back
in hospital for more tests in
two weeks.
So, this morning, as like many
mornings for the last almost
three years, the President will
mount the gray Lexus with a
Costa Rican flag as a license
plate, will head for Casa
Presidencial in Zapote to resume
his duties.
Costa Rica Could See a Woman
President in the Near Future
A report in the daily
Spanish language newspaper
La Prensa Libre says that
due to the recent corruption
scandal and the unhappiness of
Costa Rican with traditional
politics may see a woman
president in the near future.
Marta Zamora of the Partido
Acción Ciudadana (PAC) says that
"Costa Rica is ready for a woman
to occupy the presidential
chair."
Most Costa Ricans don't realize
that, as was the case of the
last several days, Costa Rica is
only one heart beat of having a
woman president. When President
Abel Pacheco as hospitalized
last week with heart trouble,
Lineth Saborío, the first
vice-president would have taken
the presidential chair if 71
year old Pacheco had been
permanently incapacitated.
The 2006 election will something
new for Ticos when more than 40
parties will be aspiring for
some time of public function,
several of them will be fielding
presidential candidates in
addition to the traditional
"green" or "red" parties.
In the past, Costa Rican
politics has been a "two" party
system, where the Partido
Liberación Nacional (PLN) or
green party and the Partito
Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC)
or red party, have alternated
the presidential chair. The two
parties were the only one to
field presidential candidates
until the 2002 elections, when a
small and relatively unknown
party - PAC - headed by Ottón
Solís forced a run-off vote when
neiter the PLN or the PUSC were
able to capture the necessary
50% of the vote.
Experts believe that the
conditions are right for a woman
president, though it may not be
in the upcoming election, but
could be in the 2010 elections.
An Alliance Could Defeat Arias,
Poll Shows
A
recent poll conducted by the
Diario Extra says that only
an alliance of parties can
defeat former president Oscar
Arias in the 2006 election.
The poll conducted by Borge y
Asociados for the Spanish
language newspaper was carried
out from January 31 and February
5, where 425 people were
interviewed in San José,
Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia and
Puntarenas.
Most of those interviewed
beleive that an alliance of
parties could see them take at
least 47% of the vote, while
Arias's party, the Partido
Liberación Nacional (PLN) could
see only 22% of the vote.
The poll also revealed an
interesting fact, that 65% of
the population could be expected
to vote in the 2006 election, an
sharp increase if that occures,
while 18% said they will abstain.
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Immigration Eases
Appointment Rule for Seniors
In
an effort to appease those
older than 65 years of age,
the Dirección General de
Migración y Extranjería -
Immigration service -
announced on Friday that
they do not need an
appointment to obtain
services.
Immigration officials have
been under fire for the
decision that anyone with
business with them has to
have an appointment by
either calling immigration
or visiting personally.
Many make the trip from
remote areas only to find
out the appointment rule,
requiring them to make a
second trip on another day.
Marco Badilla, Director of
Immigration, confirmed that
senior citizens and the
handicapped will be attended
between 7am and 3pm at a
special window - window 6 -
and can obtain a new
passport without having the
need for a prior
appointment.
The Director added that his
department has always had a
"special" window for
seniors, children and the
handicapped, where they are
given priority.
Everyone else, be it to get
a new passport or to replace
one or for foreigners who
want to renew their
residency permits, an
appointment is necessary.
US Airways Now With Direct
Flights to Liberia
It
was 1:30pm Saturday as the
Daniel Oduber airport in
Liberia, Guancaste, received
US Airways,it's newest
arrival to it's growing
number of flights landing at
the airport, with 120
passengers on board.
US Airways joined
Continental, American
Airlines and Delta with two
flights a week on Saturdays
and Sundays full of
vacationers headed directly
to the beaches of Guanacaste.
In the past, visitors to
Guanacaste had to land in
San José and then take a
30-40 minute flight or 4 1/2
- 5 hour drive before
hitting the hot sand.
According to figures
released by the Instituto
Costarricense de Turismo -
Tourism Board - the Oduder
airport hadndled 32.600
visitors in January. |
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