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Democracy Ain't Cheap
Every four years Costa Ricans go
to the voting booths to elect a
new leader, a process that has
become costly in the recent
years, costing ¢4.766 (us$9.50)
for each vote cast.
At least that is the figure come
up with by the Spanish daily
newspaper Al Día, totalling all
the votes cast and the cost of
electing a new president.
According to political norms,
those national an provincial
parties who obtained at least 4%
of the valid vote or were able
to elect at least one
Legislator, have the right to
receive a contribution by the
state to pay off their election
debt.
Which, in effect, means all
Costa Ricans pay, either they
voted or not.
The Tribunal Supremo de
Elecciones (TSE) fixed the cost
of the 2006 election at ¢13.9
billion colones (us$27.7 million
dollars) of which the PLN (the
winning party) is expected to
receive ¢5.978.106.074 colones,
while the runner up, the PAC,
will receive ¢5.030.255.485
colones.
Ten political parties are
expected to receive a
contribution, including the
provincial party, Guanacaste
Independiente, will receive
¢23.878.451 colones.
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