Legislative Assembly To Suspend All Projects Giving Priority to TLC Approval
Following his meeting with U.S. president, George W. Bush, Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias and his brother, the ministro de la Presidencia, Rodrigo Arias, announced yesterday that the priority of the Legislative Assembly will be the Tratado Libre de Comercio (TLC) - free trade agreement with the United States (CAFTA).

President Arias re-iterated his commitment to his U.S. counterpart for Costa Rica to approve the TLC and join the rest of the Central American nations - Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras and the Dominican Republic, which was added to the trade deal later - in approving the trade deal.

Costa Rica is the only signatory country yet to ratify and implement the accord.

The Arias brothers said that legislative agenda for this session beginning December 1, 2006 and ending April 30, 2007, will be cleared and legislators will have the discussion of the TLC as a priority. Beginning Monday December 12, all other projects will be second to the TLC approval, according to a resolution by the president of the Legislative Assembly.

By way of the press office of the Casa Presidencial, minister Arias informed of the decision of giving the Comisión de Asuntos Internacionales y Comercio Exterior - the legislative commission on the TLC - all the room it needs to complete its mandate in the earliest time possible.

"With this decision the Poder Ejecutivo (executive branch of the government) demonstrates its political will and the urgent need for the approval of the trade agreement", said minister Arias, who is the driving force behind the Arias administration, while his brother the president goes about being the statesman.

Minister Arias added that one the TLC process has ended, the Legislature will resume all its suspended projects.

Francisco Antonio Pacheco, president of the Legislative Assembly, gave his full support behind the administration's decision.